More Than Just Looking Through The Glass
by NonTheWiser
Summary: Sadie, is a young girl of 16. One day she finds her self sinking through the sand at her local beach. Where she ends up is not where she'd expect. But now she's in one piece and is 5 years old again. This is an Oc story.
1. I Think I Hate Sand Now

**I forgot to put up what i previously had at the top of this chapter so im just going to go ahead and remind people just in case they dont know. I pushed my chapters together so that i could make the story have longer chapters. I did this while I was writing for chapter 8, if i remember right. Though of course now im on chapter 15, i think you all know this but like i said above just in case someone still didnt know.**

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><p><span>Chapter 1<span>

_Darkness, darkness_

_All around_

_Nothing peeps or makes a sound_

_When daylight sneak a cautious view_

_A story begins a new_

"Gasp," my lungs inhaled fast as I sat quickly up in bed. I grabbed my heart as my body pulsed to life. That dream, that awful dream again.

As I slowly calmed down and my pulse regulated I laid back and turned to my side where I spotter my backpack that happened to be lying on my bed side table. I opened the front pocket and pulled out a picture. I stared at the picture long and hard before putting it back into the backpack and turning back over trying to ride myself of the bile that still swarmed in my mind.

I stared up at the ceiling and remembered that it was Saturday. So I sat up as I smiled a little still trying but failing to shake off the aftermath of the dream.

I looked around my light blue room looking for something in particular. As I looked around my eyes passed over books, CD's, covers, pillows, chewy bar rappers and my computer in the far corner. My eyes finally landed on what I was looking for my guitar and Ukulele.

I had learned how to play both and could never just pick one up, though I did learn how to play the guitar first. It was really the only things I could say I was actually good at, what with my poor brain capacity and moderate skills when it came to defense or sports for that matter. I carried them around with me where ever I went.

I quickly got out of bed and threw on some hiking boots and a red sun dress. I know they don't really go together but there always comfortable to wear around.

I grabbed my backpack that already had three notebooks, a pencil, towel, and some pictures in it. Then I added my Ukulele to the mix and grabbed my guitar that had its own case.

I then opened my door and walked out of my room shutting it quietly. Because, across the hall from me laid my mother. Her long brown hair drifted down her shoulders and spilled on top of her pillow. Her face held utter content and her eye lids shut out her golden eyes from the world before her. She lay in only her scrubs and I saw her shiver in her sleep.

I quietly walked in and covered her up with a blanket, it had been hard for her ever since my father left and my brother joined the marines. No he didn't beat us or starve us or anything like that, he never hurt us physically, But don't get me wrong either I haven't talked to my dad in a year I don't like him and never will. I want a real dad not one who just buys me stuff so that I like him.

My father left when I was only fourteen and my older brother was nineteen. My father met a younger woman and after cheating on my mother with her for some months he dumped my mother.

He kicked us out of the house and on to the streets though luckily my grandmother took us in. My grandmother let us stay as my mother made her way through collage so she could get a better job.

When I was fifteen my mother, brother and I finally moved out of my grandparents house and into our own apartment on the beach, which was good because it was also near my school. My mother got a job at a hospital near by and my brother graduated soon after.

Not to long after that my brother was sent off to a training camp for the marines, he was finally fulfilling his dreams of helping our nation.

Then there's me I'm pretty normal for a sixteen year old girl, I don't have any life lasting friends and I don't stand out. I'm an average girl with an average dream as well.

My dream is to open a little café in town where I can spend my day serving strangers and maybe end up writing a book or two in my free time.

Though that wasn't always my dream once upon a long time ago, I dreamed of the impossible I dreamed of ever lasting friendship and falling in love… Once upon a time I dreamed of a dad who would love me. And Once upon a time I dreamed of seeing the world.

But that's all behind me, I've come to relies that wishing and dreaming is for Disney movies. While grand adventures with true friendship are for all the anime I spent my time watching.

I wasn't like other people when it came to anime though, I didn't dream about going on an adventure with my favorite characters in toe. I didn't wish I could fall in love with one of them and run off with a happy ending, because in the real world things like that just didn't happen.

Though it did make me forget about my own world from time to time and just worry about there's. I never felt like anything more than an over seeing party of one though. Or maybe an observer or creator that felt just a little too strongly for there own creations than they should of.

My favorite out of all the anime I had watched had to be one piece. The characters grabbed my attention and made me feel for them. I cried for like a week when I found out that Ace had died.

"Hu," I sighed and then haled my stuff into our small kitchen and made myself a piece of toast before making my way out of the front door.

I walked down the hall our apartment was in and then to the elevator at the end of the hall. I stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for the first floor of the building. Then, to my luck there was no one else to get on before I reach the first floor.

I quickly stepped out of the elevator with my things then walked briskly till I was out of the apartment building all together. I took a single breath in and then out with a sigh, ah the air of Florida always did wonders to a person's mood if you ask me personally.

I made my way across the street and over to the beach where I found a dry but windy place where I took my towel out of my backpack and set it down on the ground.

I then set myself down on the towel and pulled out my ukulele and started playing a song that I new rather well.

I hummed the lyrics to the song so not to disturb any of the other people around me. I played

And played

And played

Switching from guitar to ukulele every so often all through out the morning and afternoon, humming along with each and every song I new.

I was so into my music that I didn't notice how late it was in till I finally looked up into the sky to see the sun slipping behind the waters on the beach. So I sighed and started packing up my things to go home.

I quickly put my towel and ukulele back in my bag and put my guitar back into its case then set off for home.

But before I could get off the beach my foot became stuck by something. I looked back to see my foot was stuck in the sand. I tried to pull my foot out but it just wouldn't budge from its place in the sand.

Then suddenly there was a tug and then another, each tug became harder and harder than the last one was. Also with each tug more and more of my body was dragged into the sand. I screamed in panic but no one seemed to hear me.

What was with this sand, it couldn't be quick sand of anything. So slowly I slipped farther and farther into the sand in till I was all the way in. It was dark far to dark and cramped but I didn't have enough time to be scared before I was falling.

I never thought I was going to stop until I hit something then something else, I couldn't tell what it was that I hit but I didn't have long to think before my head hit something far harder and right before I fell unconscious. I thought is this the end of me is this the end of Sadie Muse Nelson

_Dreams never filled my head_

_All there ever was, was black_

_But glad was I not to dream_

_For all my dreams would be dead_

_Though hope showed yet through this darken room_

_No the darkness never left it just went on and on_

_Ready to be filled with dreams_

_But was I ready to fill it?_

_Was I ready to be gone?_

Slowly my eyes opened, but were blurry so I blinked a couple of times before I looked down. There I saw that I was in a bed, so it was just a dream. I sighed and then looked to my left to see a window, it was closed and I smiled at it but then slowly I started to frown.

The reflection in the mirror didn't look like me. Well it did but it looked like a little me. The person staring back at me had deep blue eyes and sea foam green hair that I had dyed myself. But this person looked like they were no older than four or five.

I quickly looked around the room for other people but no one was there, I was alone. I then took a better look at the room as well the room was plain with light brown walls and nothing but a bed and a dresser.

This wasn't my room at all and I was freaking out inside. I took a deep breath in to calm down my nerves and then pinched myself. But nothing around me changed so I pinched myself again and again, but still nothing changed. My eyes widened slightly this wasn't a dream so I was some where I don't know and now I was a little person.

I sighed and tried not to rip my hair out and scream in fear that who ever owned this little house would hear me and something bad would happen. As I hyperventilated quietly, if that's possible, I heard the door slowly squeak open. I looked up and over to the door to see a little boy look in and run up to my bed he had dark hair and wore a tank top with blue jean shorts on. He looked familiar some how but I didn't know exactly how.

"Hi my name is Monkey. D. Luffy, lets be friends," The boy yelled in excitement smiling all the while. Then it hit me, was I in one piece? Then that would mean I was most likely in windmill village or with the Dadan family there wasn't really any other explanation so until anything more rational comes by to say hi I'll go with that.

But I had to find a way to get back, my life was boring back then but I liked the predictability. Anime was supposed to be on the irrational side of the glass and I on the other hand was supposed to be on the rational one.

"Uhm, you can call me Muse," I said but I didn't smile, not that I ever really did around strangers. Just because I knew him from a TV show didn't mean he was the same, in what ever this place is. But he just smiled on as he yelled

"Makino the girl's awake, the girls awake and her name is Muse," Luffy yelled out to his care taker.

"I never said my name was Muse," I spoke up making the young man in front of me frown in frustration.

"Yes you did, you just said so," He spoke in a matter of fact tone.

"No what I said was that you could call me Muse not that, that was my name," I said back in a cool tone laughing a little at his confused face, but only on the inside.

As I finished my sentence and women walked into the room she had green hair with a yellow bandana holding it back along with two deep brown eyes. She smiled at me and then pulled a chair from outside the door into the room so that she could sit beside my bed.

"Hello little one what's your name?" The women I already knew as Makino questioned, though I know she had to know my name from Luffy's yelling so I wondered why she asked. But I was still ready to answer when I was interrupted.

"She said to call her Muse but it's not her name," Luffy spoke up before I could with a pout on his face.

"Well that's a lovely name Muse; may I ask you what you were doing unconscious in the middle of the woods?" Makino asked, so I was found in the woods, huh? I guess that answers the question as to what I was hitting on the way down; they must have been branches in the trees.

"I don't know," I answered her pretty much telling the truth I mean I don't know why I ended up here and like this. A little five your old girl when I used to be sixteen years old.

"Do you know where your parents are? Or maybe a guardian, relative, or sibling?" she asked again hoping to make me cheer up a bit, but I just kept a stoic look on my face. Technically I did now where my family was but I doubt that they would know the places that my family members were at so I'd just have to say nothing and figure all this out on my own.

"No I don't know where they are," I said back.

"Well then how about your age?" she tried again thinking I was getting discourage from not being able to answer any questions. But I still answered it all the same.

"I'm five years old," I said only really guessing my age from what I looked like right now.

"So then your younger than me, this is going to be awesome, hey Makino can she stay with us?" Makino sighed at Luffys light hearted spirit as she nodded a yes.

"Of course she can stay here if she has no where else to go," Makino answered Luffy and smiled down at me. I did think about rejecting them at first not liking the idea of intruding on some else's home.

But then remembering that I'm a pint sized five year old now I thought better of it, I didn't have any where else to say and couldn't get a job to take care of myself either, so I just stayed quite on the matter and decided to get up. As I slowly got off the bed and looked down at myself to see that I was in a night gown.

"Could I get some other clothes to put on so that I can go out side?" I asked as Makino nodded then grabbed some clothes handing them to me and ushering Luffy out of the room and then leaving as well, shutting the door behind her so that I could change.

I looked at the clothes to see they were a bit big on me, there was a long sleeved tee shirt that was a light purple and reached over my hands and jean shorts that I decided to roll up. I tried rolling the sleeves to the shirt up as well but they just kept coming undone so I just left them the way they were.

I crawled back onto the bed to take a better look at myself in the glass since there was no mirror. I didn't look half bad in the clothes and beside the length of the legs and sleeves every thing fit pretty well.

So I walked over to the door and opened it walking out and around the corner to find Makino making food and Luffy sitting at the table waiting for it. I wasn't feeling all that hungry but I waned to get to know the people I was going to be living with.

So I set down at the table on the opposite side of Luffy, when I pulled my chair to sit down Luffy smiled at me. His smile was big and goofy like I'd always scene in the shows. It made me want to smile as well but yet when I tried to all I could manage was a small one back, it was nothing compare to his smile.

"Muse lets be friends!" Luffy shouted never letting that smile slip off his face "We could go on adventures together!" he added.

I thought about his request it wouldn't hurt anything well except maybe the adventure part since as far as I know he's a trouble magnet but I slowly nodded my head any way, as he yelled in the air yays and yahoos.

"We're going to be best friends Muse!" Luffy said excitedly.

"Well don't do anything to dangerous with her Luffy, she's younger than you and a girl," Makino said sounding worried as she set the food down on the table and we all started to eat. "You could get her hurt if you're not careful," she scolded to make sure he wouldn't do anything to reckless around me.

"Oh don't worry Makino, if we do anything scary I'll just protector her so no worries," Luffy pronounced bravely.

I, never saying a word for where pooh was a bear of very little brain, I was a girl of very little words. But still the thought of Luffy just wanting to protect me brought a smile to my face a small and unnoticeable one but a smile all the same.

"Thanks," I spoke up towards Luffy "But I don't need to be protected," I protested knowing that the idea probably wouldn't work out well just by the look in Makino's eyes.

"Don't worry Muse he'll protect you weather you want him to or not," Makino spoke up giggling slightly when I sighed.

By the time our conversation was over I had finished all the food on my plate then thought about my guitar and backpack. I had it with me when that tornado came so hopefully, maybe it was here as well. I mean there's never any harm in asking.

"When you found me did you find anything near me?"

"No, nothing at all, why?" Makino said, but I mean I was in a tornado they could have landed anywhere so I decided to go look for them and ignore Makino's question.

"I'll be back so, don't worry ok," I said and then left the house before anyone said anything making my way back to the woods, the sun was high in the sky so what I was guessing is it was most likely noon.

The woods were a lot thicker in this world than in my own, likely to the fact we had people chopping them down to make supper malls, and here people only chopped down trees to make houses. As I ventured through the woods I made sure to remember the way back. I ended up finding my backpack, and my guitar, not very far from each other. Surprisingly my guitar wasn't even scratched and nothing in my backpack was out of place.

Now that my things were found I wondered what else had changed about me, I wanted to know if only my size changed or did my strength change as well.

So I slowly walked over to a good sized boulder and tried to push it a little only to watch as it went flying. My eyes widened, if anything I though that I would lose strength because of my size not gain it.

I started at my hands in shock for a while but then smiled and jumped in the air. I was so excited my fighting could get way better now, I could get stronger here. But then I thought twice how I could be so happy when I left my mother all alone.

How selfish could I be to be happy about being here? I sighed and stormed off back towards the house I came from mad at myself for my own selfishness. As I walked angrily I didn't notice where I was going and some how found my way into a deep, dark, narrow whole, this was not going to be good.


	2. Flashback

Chapter 2

I slowly started to panic as terror started to set in, my worst fear was now being realized. My claustrophobia was getting worse and worse as time went on.

My breath came shallow and short as time passed and as the sun grew lower and lower sinking into the earth. The air grew colder and the sky soaked in darkness and before I new it I was all alone in the dark.

I closed my eyes tight trying to calm down, but that just ended up making it worse as flashes of the past lingered behind my eyes lids. Back when I was only twelve, is when I first became claustrophobic and it was for a good reason.

_I ran through my house as my older brother chased me laughing all the way. In till my mother came in from the back yard and saw us. She stepped in front of us making us stop so that we wouldn't hit her._

_I looked straight up at my mom not seeing the mad face I thought I would but instead seeing a face with a small warm smile and giggling golden eyes._

"_You shouldn't run in the house you too," She said scolding us with a smile still on her face. "You should go play out front, but stay around the house ok," my mother said then walked into the kitchen probably to make my brother and I lunch._

_I smiled back at my brother and then we took off out the front door, my brother went straight to the grassy part of the yard and started to play catch with himself, probably waiting for the neighbors kid to peek outside, see him, come outside, then start a game of real catch._

_I on the other hand went straight to the drive way, grabbing my bike from the garage and taking a seat on it. I smiled down at it and all its pink princessie glory before I took off down the road on it. _

_I made my way down the street on the back of my bike smiling and laughing all the way. It was a bright and sunny day and there wasn't a cloud insight. My brother would also look up every few minutes to see if I was ok being protective as normal._

_So when He looked away I rode as fast as I could. As I rode farther and farther from my house, ignoring the rules of my mother, the streets became more unknown to me and before I knew it I could no longer see my brother playing in the front yard. I grew scared and stopped pedaling my bike so that I could turn around, but as my head started to turn someone came up behind me._

_They grabbed me around my waist and tried to pull me away, away from everything. But I wouldn't give up I kicked and punched back as hard as I could but still, nothing, they were to strong for me to fend off by myself. They dragged me into the trunk of a car and set me down, still with an iron clad hold on my body._

"_Drink this," a boy in front of me whispered holding a drink up to my face, he had blond hair with blue eyes along with an obviously fake warm smile plastered on his face. I quickly shook my head back and forth in a no motion not wishing to say a word, or rather not being able to find my voice to say anything. The boy sighed and scratched the back of his head in annoyance then spoke._

"_Guess the hard way it is then," The boy then grabbed my arm and pushed me down so that he could sit on my arms as he held the liquid to my mouth and pinched my nose so that I couldn't breath. I tried to hold my breath I really didn't want to breath but at some point I had to and I opened my mouth. To which he forced the drink into my mouth and held my mouth closed still pinching my nose._

_So I was forced to sallow the bad tasting substance that had intruded my mouth. But I never stopped kicking and trying to escape this man. Though not long after swallowing the liquid did I see the affects of it. My body slowly grew weaker and weaker and my kicking grew slower and slower and before I knew it I couldn't even move my legs anymore I was far too weak. _

_When the boy saw my state he quickly picked me up and threw me in a guitar case, shutting the top and locking it so that I wouldn't be able to escape. But right before the case shut I heard my name being called. After the case was shut I heard a ruckus out side for a minute or two and then I felt the car take off fast down the road. _

_At first I listened closely to the people in front of me in the car._

"_How easy was that?" One said_

"_To easy don't you think?" The next put in and then they all laughed._

"_That boy who new the little girl was a little bit of a handful though," the boy that held me down said and I grew a little scared for my brother._

"_Yah but you sure showed that little punk didn't you?" one man chuckled and I decided to toon them out, I didn't want to hear what they had done to my brother it would be too much._

_The case I was in moved around in the trunk in swift jerky motions slamming me into the different sides of the car. Inside the guitar case it was hard to breath and I couldn't move at all. Slowly I started to panic and started to yell with the little energy I had left I yelled and yelled and yelled. I yelled so much that I used too much of my energy up causing me to get black spot to appear before my eyes and slowly I drifted off into unconsciousness._

_Seconds._

_Minutes._

_Hours._

_It all passed by and for each one I was terrified, would I ever see my family again. Would I ever get to look up into my brother's eyes and smile again? Would I ever get to sit in the living room and fall asleep on my moms lap while watching a movie? Would I ever get to see the day when my father would hug me and tell me how proud of me he was for the first time?_

_It all seemed so far away, much to far from my reach anyway, but yet there was always a glimmer. I don't know from what or from where but for all the time I laid in that case there was always a glimmer of hope in the darkness._

_My family isn't the only thing I though about in there. I also thought about what the men in the front were going to do with me. Why did they come and steal me away from my family and why did it have to be me. I never did anything and yet would I have to suffer for another's sin? But most of all I was worried about my brother, had the men hurt him badly, was he ok, was he safe?_

_As time went on I kept yelling and screaming and when ever I'd run to low on air I'd pass out only to wake up later not knowing how much time had passed. I grew hungrier and thirstier but still I yelled on. Then it stopped, the car stopped, and I could no longer hear anything. In till I heard the trunk open up before me._

_And my nerves went haywire. I heard and felt them slide me towards themselves and then I heard a definite click and then another. Knowing that someone had just opened up the locks to the case that I lay in. I watched the lid slowly open then a man with a police hat looked down at me. Then for the first time since I was captured I cried. Then for the last time since I was kidnapped I yelled, I yelled for my brother._

_The cop slowly picked me up and brought me to the back seat of his car where I saw my brother. At first I didn't want to look at him, I was ashamed of my self. If I had listened to mom then none of this would have happened in the first place. But all my fears vanished when he quickly grabbed me and hugged me as hard as he could. I hugged him back with all the strength I could muster and then for the first time in a long time I fell asleep and didn't fall unconscious. Ever since that day I had been afraid of small places._

I quickly ripped my eyes opened after seeing that flashback and I couldn't hold back my tears anymore then cried. 

Luffy's pov

Before lunch was over Muse ran out the door. I on the other hand stayed for a little longer and ate as much as I could. There was so much meat that there is no way I could say no to it. But once I was full I decided to go and find Muse so that we could play together.

"Makino! I'm going to go find Muse and play," I yelled and ran out the door and towards the woods, where I thought she would be.

"Ok be careful and be back by dinner ok?" Makino stuck her head out of the door and shouted towards me.

"Ok I will!" I shouted back turning and waving at her before I disappeared into the underbrush of the woods. I ran through the woods looking under ever rock and all the bushes that were insight. But Muse was no where to be found, I looked for hours and hours but nothing. The sky grew dark and I decided to cheek and see if maybe she went home already.

I ran back to the house and then inside to see Makino setting the table with a bunch of food. I smelt the food and smiled and large grin, it looked really good. When she looked up she smiled at me but then frowned for some reason.

"Where's Muse I thought you were going to go play with her?" Makino questioned and then I frowned as well

"I couldn't find her so I came home thinking she maybe here," I told Makino only to see her eyes light up with worry. Once I had the information that she wasn't here I turned around and headed right back for the woods I came from, forgetting all about the food back at the house. While also ignoring the yells that came my way from Makino.

"Muse! Muse! Where are you?" I yelled into the darkness hoping for an answer but nothing ever answered me back so I kept on running.

Muse's Pov

My tears slithered down my cheeks and flowed off of them like a river while I sunk to my knees. What if no one found me, my big brother wasn't here to help me anymore; he wasn't here to save me or to stop my crying anymore. I had to realize that my family was gone in till I could find a way back to them.

That's when I heard it

"Muse!" the voice was faint but still there was it just my imagination playing tricks on me again?

"Muse!" but then I heard it louder than before, getting closer to the hole that I had fallen in.

"Where are you?" the voice sounded off again sounding strong and worried, so I gathered the little nerve I had left and stood up again looking at the top the hole this time.

"Muse!" the voice yelled sounding happy because at the top of the hole looking down at me through the moon light was Luffy, the person who had been yelling this whole time. Luffy quickly grabbed a branch from a near by tree and stuck it down the hole towards me.

"Grab on," he shouted down to me and I did while tears still streamed down my face. Luffy quickly pulled me out and then laughed.

"I'm glad I finally found you Mu- what's wrong," he interrupted himself seeing that I was crying.

"I want my big brother," I cried and shuck as more tears trickled down from my eyes. Luffy looked at my face and then grew serious for a moment.

"I may not be your big brother by blood," He spoke in a determined voice "But from now on I see you as my little sister and I'll never let you cry again." He stated as I grabbed him in a hug.

He hugged me back as well and I felt my shirt get wet and I knew he was crying for me. After a couple of minutes Luffy and I pulled our selves together and got up off of the ground. Luffy turned his back to me and motioned for me to get on.

"I'm ok now Luffy you don't have to carry me home," I said in a soft voice. Luffy only turned around and smiled that big cheesy grin of his and I knew that I wouldn't be able to talk him out of carrying me so I just gave in.

I let him carry me through the woods and as he carried me we didn't say a word to each other but it wasn't a bad silence it was a good silence. It was a silence filled with promises and a future of family and friendship. So I thought, I'm sorry mom but couldn't I stay here just a little longer? I want to watch Luffy grow and live out his dream. I'm sorry mom but I don't think I can come back now even if I knew how.

I'll keep looking but I'll also keep watching Luffy as well, I'll get stronger and faster and train really hard to keep him safe. So I'm sorry mom but could you wait a while? Was my last thought before I let a tear out and hugged Luffy harder to my body then closed my eyes in till we got home.

When we walked in Makino looked at us and gasped as she saw how dirty we were and all the cuts and burses she saw on our bodies. Makino fed us, Luffy eating most of it, and then let us take a batch, of course separately.

Then afterwards she fixed up our cuts and burses before sending us off to bed with a short scolding. That night I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. But I dreamed of nothing and no one, it was all dark and forever black in my dreams that night.


	3. Ladies, Shanks is in the building

Chapter 3

I blinked as my eyes opened slowly and let them adjusted to the light that came streaming thought my window. Today was a new day and so I quickly got up and stumbled over to my new dresser taking out some of Makino's old clothes. Then I slipped them on and walked out of my room. I headed towards the kitchen where Makino was busy getting the table set and ready for breakfast.

"Hey Makino, do you need some help?" I asked while yawning and rubbing my eyes to cure my sight of its bleariness. Makino turned around and smiled at me motioning me over with her hand. So I trotted over to her side so I could listen to what she wanted.

"Sure hunny, could you set the table for me?" She asked me while handing me and plates from a cabinet much too high for me to reach in my current state. I grabbed the plates from her hands and headed towards the table. I slowly set up three plates, eating utensils and cups as I stood upon my tippy toes.

As soon as I finished that task Makino started to set the food on the plates and fill our glasses with orange juice. The smell of the food wafted through the house and soon enough we heard a definite sound coming from the back of the house.

"FOOD!" a voice sounded off as Makino laughed and I chuckled a bit at his crazed food loving antics. We heard a scurrying noise and then out popped Luffy from around the corner with a smile on his face. He quickly jumped into a chair and chowed down on his food at an in humane rate.

While Makino and I on the other hand leisurely took our seats and ate our food at a much slower rate. As we ate I saw Makino glace at me from the corner of my left eye but thought nothing of it and finished off my food.

I quietly set at the table and waited for everyone to finish before helping Makino clean the dishes. After that job was done I turned to run out the door but was pulled back by Makino.

"Today, I'd like for the both of you to go to the bar with me." Makino spoke and I gave her a confused look. Thinking she was going to try and give alcohol to children, but then remembered that she owned a bar. So I ended up nodding while Luffy sighed. The walk was no time at all it actually turned out that the bar was about a quarter of a mile away from their, I mean our home.

As we stood in front of the bar Makino took her keys out of her pocket using her right hand and unlocking the door. While with her left hand she pulled her wallet out of her pocket and handed to Luffy and I.

"Here us this to buy clothes for Muse," Makino said "I don't think it's a good idea to let her walk around in clothes that are to big for her anymore." Makino stated and then went on "Make sure to watch out for Muse Luffy, I don't want her getting hurt, ok?" Makino finished while Luffy and I smiled up at her.

"Of course I'll take care of her Makino, she's my little sister," Luffy spoke in a brave voice.

"Tch, like I need to be protected by a weakling like you," I stated turning my back to him, I mean really did anyone think I was going to change that much because of one heart felt moment.

"Grrr," Luffy growled at me "I'm going to be strong, stronger than anyone else and then you won't be able to say than anymore Muse, I'm going to a great man some day everyone will know." Luffy stated in determination.

"Whatever," I said back then grabbed Luffy's hand and started walking in a random direction dragging him the process. Even if I was a little harsh on him I really did believe he would be strong, I mean I watched him do it on TV so I'm sure he can do it now too. So I just kept on dragging Luffy through the streets that is in till he decided to drag me instead finding a clothing shop much faster than I could of.

We looked around the store and I ended up finding a tank top white dress with black frills at the bottom that went to right below my knees. With black and white stripped lights going horizontally down my legs that were tucked in flat, black, ballet shoes. Then finally to top it off I bought shorts to go under the dress and a white fedora that had a single black strip on it. After buying the clothes I simply slipped them on and ran out of the shop with Luffy trailing right behind me.

I twirled in the sun light then looked back at Luffy who smiled at me as well.

"So now let's go on an adventure!" Luffy shouted

"What kind of adventure? It doesn't look like there's anything to do around here," I spoke up while looking around at all the boring features of the island. But Luffy simply laughed at me and dragged me off and towards the woods.

But then stopped and listened to the air.

"Luffy what are you-,"

"Shh," Luffy interrupted me and cover my mouth rudely with his hand. He listened more to the wind so I decided to as well. I listened to the air and heard the sound of something cutting through the sea and distant shouts of hurray. Luffy laughed in excitement and took off back from where we came from.

Luffy's pov

I took off from the woods once I heard the sounds of a ship in the distance. I headed straight for the shipping port and got there in no time. I got there and saw a pirate ship unloading boxes and barrels of stuff on to the island.

And there organizing the whole ordeal was the man I was looking for, Shanks.

"Shanks!" I yelled and ran toward him just as all the men finished unloading there things.

"Well, well if it isn't little ol' Luffy," Shank smiled at me then the crew set out to Makino's bar that was right around the corner as I sputtered mindless words about all the things that Shanks had missed while he was gone.

Every single one of them filled up the vast bar and took there seats ordering different alcoholic drinks from the bar. Makino looked at me then around the bar and frowned.

"Luffy where's Muse?" Makino questioned him

"She's right he-"I began then looked around myself remembering that I had left her back in the woods.

"Oh I left her back in the woods," I spoke to Makino smiling up at her.

"WHAT! Go get her right now!" Makino shouted and pointed at the door.

"Don't worry Makino she'll be fine," I countered while still smiling.

"She'll be ok you say, she's only five!" Makino shouted back.

"Wait; wait a minute, who is Muse?" Shanks questioned while sitting next to me.

"She's a five year old who Makino and I found in the woods the other day," I exclaimed in excitement "She's also my new little sister," I threw in with a proud look upon my face.

"Hm, I'd like to meet her," Shanks spoke up while I smiled and took off for the woods where I had left Muse.

Muse's pov

Instead of following him though I got an idea and headed for the woods. I didn't want to forget anything I knew, not my life back home and not all the things I already new about this world. So I found a seat far out in the woods and set down taking out three note books full of paper. I took one note book and started to write.

I wrote

And wrote

And wrote.

I wrote everything I remember was told or found out about my life starting at the beginning. And to tell the truth it was fun, thinking back to all the times. Remembering my first friend Mac and my best friend Sam.

Then finally I sighed and I had finished the memoirs of my old life from when I was born till the day of the storm. I looked at the sky and saw that it had been about an hour, can't believe I wrote everything I remember about my life in an hour, I must really have not done a lot.

Next it was time to write everything I new about this world I took out the second note book and opened it up. Then I started where Luffy met shanks and went up in order of age and not in order of episodes. After I finished this task it seemed that it took even less time than it did to write my life.

But I suspected that much being as it was a show, I wouldn't know as much as the people who were actually in it. So I slowly folded up the two note books and kept the third one for information I found out in the future.

I sighed and leaned my head back just listening to the wind in till the sound of a breaking twig made me jump and move faster than I though I could into the tree behind me.

As I landed in the tree I stared down at my feet I mean really what's up with me being this powerful. I mean I'm not as strong as most of the other characters but still I was never like this before. I just sighed and decided to start training myself to see what would happen.

After coming to that conclusion I stared down at where I used to sit as I heard the bushes move that were to the left of me. I saw them part and a figure move through them and into the light. Below me stood the always troublesome Monkey, D, Luffy. I sighed and was about to climb down when I got a better idea.

"Muse where are you?" Luffy question but more to himself while sighing. "I want her to meet Shanks," Luffy whined.

I waited in till just the right time to strike, then swiftly and silently I jumped on to his back. Officially scarring and bugizza's out of him. He ran around flopping his arms as I chuckled lowly on his back in till I fell off.

Luffy quickly flipped around to see me upside down on the ground staring up at him smiling a little.

Luffy frowned down at me then whined "Why'd you do that muse?"

"Because the way you acted was hilarious," I spoke still smiling slightly up at him. He smiled back then dragged me off the ground and away from the forest after I grabbed my things.

"Where are we going?" I asked Luffy as he dragged me through the town.

"I want you to meet one of my friends!" Luffy shouted happily as I just shrugged and let him drag me along.

Luffy dragged me all the way through the town and back to the front of Makino's bar where he pushed open the doors and yelled

"See Makino she was fine," Then laughed a little. I just sighed at him and shook my head back and forth. Then I noticed something there were a lot of people in here for such a small village. I looked around and spotted some familiar faces. First was Yassop, and Lucky Roux then I spotted Ben Beckman. But the last and most important person I spotted was red haired Shanks sitting at the bar all by himself.

The man amazed me and I couldn't take my eyes off of him. It wasn't love that I felt when I stared at this man, it was admiration and praise. I stared at him from the opened door, oblivious to everything and everyone else. It seemed after a couple of seconds he noticed my stare and turned around as well.

My gaze then turned into a curious one. From the moment I got here I promised myself that I wouldn't trust anyone till I really got to know them. But Shanks, I had always liked him, I had always wanted to meet him, and now that I'm here, standing so close to him I want to trust him automatically.

Luffy noticed my staring as well and smiled then dragged me over to stand in front of Shanks, as Shanks turned completely around. Shanks and I stared at each other my eyes widened in awe while the rest of my face stayed stoic.

Shanks seemed to notice this and smiled down at me then spoke

"So this is Muse, huh?" He questioned as I only shook my head in a yes manner finding that I could be quite shy at times. He smiled at me then spoke again "Well my names Shanks,"

"Hey don't just introduce your self, my names Yassop," Ussop's father spoke wearing his head band with his name on it.

"You always were forgetful, I'm Ben," The first mate jumped in as well.

"You guys are all just going in confuse her, the names Lucky Roux," The fat man with a green stripped shirt spoke as Yassop rolled his eyes at him. I just started at each one of them I didn't really know what to say.

This act made the red haired pirate laugh at me and then pick me up and set me in the seat next to him before I could put my backpack down or steady my guitar. So my guitar ended up lying on the floor while my backpack still hung around my shoulders. Luffy saw this then took a seat next to me. I felt a little frustrated about being picked up. I know that I'm little now but I still have the mind of a sixteen year old.

"So how are you today little one?" Shanks questioned me but did not turn his head towards me.

"Don't call me little," I whispered back

"What was that?" Shanks asked me smiling in a teasing way. I turned my head towards him and mustered up the meanest glare I could for a five year old. But all in all my glare looked more cute than terrifying.

"I said, don't call me little," Though this time when I spoke I said it in a irritated way and turned my head away from him and jumped down from my seat. I set my guitar up against the bar and set my backpack on the ground as everyone in the pub laughed at the clueless expression on Shank's face.

"So Muse what's in the case?" a man from the crowed shouted and asked me. So I turned around to them and spoke

"It's my guitar," I said proud that all my years of practicing paid off and I could now play an instrument.

"Isn't it a little big for you?" Yassop questioned but not in a demeaning way just a curious one. He actually brought up something I did not know myself and it made me think. I mean I was smaller I should really cheek that out sometime.

"I don't know," I answered Yassop as everyone fell anime style on the floor in front of me.

"How do you not know?" Yassop questioned again as I just shrugged my shoulders then answered again.

"Never though about it till now," which was sort of true I hadn't thought about since I had become small. My statement ended up causing a new round of falls.

"So, Muse how do you like living with Luffy?" Shanks questioned me and I was about to answer but was cut off.

"Shanks didn't I already tell you she's my little sister now and I'm going to protect her!" He pronounced as he stood a top the bar. Though I never saw him get up there guess I need to pay more attention to things. Though I couldn't leave thing as they were and decided to test out my new catch phrase instead.

"Tch, like I need to be protected by a weakling like you," I spoke then turned my head away from him in the same manner I did to Shanks previously as the bar laughed at my cute way of being mean. I sighed and got tired of just standing there so I decided to walk around the bar. I wanted to see what kind of people were hanging out around here.

Nearing the back of the room there were two pirates talking about the world government. The one on the left had blond hair and wore a bandana on his head with the insignia of their crew. The Other man across from him had short cropped down hair and a nose ring. So being me I decided to listen in on there conversation.

"The government's way of doing things is ludicrous, "One said

"They trust only there dogs and the people foolish enough to take the bait of there obvious lies to make them feel better," the other across from the first jumped in.

"There all the same, a dog is a dog and a rat is a rat," the other commented on the second man. Now I didn't think that too fair, they based there judgment on all marines just because of a few bad shells. I mean I didn't like the marines when I watched the show either but some of them just wanted to do the world some good.

So I decided to jump in, forgetting the fact that I was now in a Childs body and answered them like any other sixteen year old girl with an opinion would.

"Did you guys ever take into consideration the others side?" I questioned the two men as they turned toward me and I could tell a select few others were listening as well.

"Huh?" they questioned me in return.

"Some men join for the fame, others for the glory, and lastly some join for the justice, the justice they think they'll serve out to pirates with ugly morals. Some men forget this upon there way, others push it to the back of there to-do list, and many grin and bear it hoping for a better solution or a brighter future in the end." I began my speech

"For some men they wear there good intensions on their sleeves for others they wear them on there backs and even more wear them upon there shoes trampling them into the ground as they slash there victims down. But for the few that wear there good intentions on there hearts it makes the fight all worth while, don't right them all out of the picture just because some are bad, they can't all be rotten, right?" I finished my speech and smiled at the men as there mouths hung a jar and them I remembered something.

I was in a five year olds body.

Five year olds don't talk about the world like that.

Damn it I made a mistake again.

"Muse can I talk to you?" A voice questioned behind me and I turned around to see Shanks looking straight at me as I got glances from both Ben and Yassop. I gulped and just decided to act like myself he didn't look mad or suspicious of me just curious in aw ay, really.

I walked nervously over to him, though it only looked nervous because of my outward appearance. I was actually walking over with suspicion in my stride. I walked straight up to Shanks and didn't bother to sit down next to him.

"Muse, where do you come from?" Shanks questioned me as I hesitated to answer. What was I going to say; well I was certain of one thing. I damn sure wasn't going to say the truth.

"I don't know," I whispered deciding not to lie but not to tell the truth either, I mean really no one would of believed the truth any way.

"You don't know?" Shanks questioned himself "Do you remember your life before you ended up here?" Shanks asked me this time.

"Yes. . ." I answered hesitantly looking straight into his eyes knowing how to read eyes myself, I didn't want to seem like I was lying.

"Who did you live with?" Shanks asked, though I didn't know why he was asking me these things, what was he getting at. But still I decided to answer his questions any way they couldn't hurt anything.

"I lived with my mommy," I spoke and smiled a little trying to sound and act more like a little girl would.

"Where is your mother now? What was she like?" Yassop questioned from behind me so I turned around to answer him.

"I don't know where she is," I answered the first question "But my mother loved her children a lot, she was brave and never gave in," I spoke in admiration and smiled a bit bigger than I normally did.

"She sounds like a great woman," Yassop spoke softly to me and smiled back.

"Did you have any sibling?" Ben asked this time from where he sat, left of Yassop. I was going to answer when Luffy cut me off again, I'd have to teach him to stop doing that to me.

"Yah she has an older brother back where she came from, right Muse?" Luffy answered for me then asked to make sure he was correct.

"Yah his name was Serge, he was really protective over me," I answered.

"And where did you become so smart?" Shanks questioned finally circling back to what the conversation was for in the first place. He though he could trick me and I guess his friends got the plan as well, Hmm Shanks maybe sneaky but not sneaky enough to fool this "kid".

"I don't know what you mean," I spoke up sounding much too innocent.

"Where did you learn the words you just spoke to the men in the back," Shanks spoke and the pointed towards the back where the two men were to more elaborate what he was trying to ask me.

"I just new it I guess," I spoke almost snickering at how innocent I sounded to myself at the moment, because, by no means have I ever been innocent. "People tell me I'm mature for my age though," I threw in.

Shanks looked a little suspicious about my answer but that didn't stop Yassop from speaking up.

"Oh well then kid we asked what was in the case but what's in the bag?" Yassop asked me in hopes of changing the conversation. I also wasn't against changing the conversation so I walked over to my bag and pulled out my Ukulele.

"I have a ukulele," I pointed out the obvious and put my fingers on the strings.

"Do you know how to play it as well as guitar?" Yassop questioned as I nodded.

"Yah when you play the Ukulele you always have fun," I spoke and smiled down at the instrument in my hands, I was doing a lot of smiling today. Then shouts erupted from all around me, everyone was shouting for me to play something.

Shanks laughed and smiled also encouraging me to play as well forgetting all about the conversation before or at least for now. And who wouldn't play their Ukulele if red haired shanks asked them?

So I scrambled up onto the bar stool then set myself on the bar and started to play, the first thing I played was Promise the Stars by We the Kings. Then went on to play more and more songs through out the day while the pirates, Luffy, and Makino all danced around having fun.

"You know your really god," a pirate said to me.

"Good, I'd say she's amazing," Another said and everyone agreed as they clapped and cheered for me I couldn't help to smile up at them as well.

The day went on and the fun never stopped and the questions were never mentioned again that day.

As the day went on and the clock struck eight I yawned and blew on my fingers because of all the playing. Makino saw me and pulled me up from where I was sitting on the bar.

"Ok guys Muse is tired so I'll be taking her and Luffy home to sleep ok," Makino shouted and all the men in the bar groaned in sadness. But they still waved Luffy and I off was Makino walked out of the pub and took us home.


	4. And Goodnight

Chapter 4

Makino walked through the streets with both Luffy and I in hand. The night was amazing there were stars as far as the eye could see. The air was crisp and I could tell it was the eve of fall around here. Most houses had candle light inside the windows telling the world that the people inside were still very mush so awake. But some were pitch black and meek of life. Makino walked briskly and elegantly home with me in her arms and Luffy by our side, yawning a little as we walked.

The walk home was silent but quick all the same. When we got home Makino ushered us off to bed even to the protests of Luffy. But before we went off to our rooms Makino had something to tell us.

"You guys, I have to go back to the shop and serve the people still there, and So Luffy make sure to keep Muse and your self safe, ok?" Makino explained to us.

"Of course I will," Luffy yawned out and walked to his room as Makino walked out the door and back towards the pub. I lingered for a little bit not that tired but then decided to just lay down any way.

I got into a night gown and readied myself for sleep as I eased myself into bed and closed my eyes.

One minute

Thirty minutes

An hour

Sleep never once came to me after these long moments, and so I sighed and turned onto my back and started to think. I thought mostly of my older brother back home, I wondered how his training was going.

I wondered if he had been assigned some where over seas or if maybe he was in danger right now. Though even if I was back at home I couldn't help him if he were in danger, it would just make me feel better to know I could be there if he needed to talk.

What If he's in a foreign country and calls home to see how the families doing. Then that's when he founds out I'm gone, I'd feel even worse then, I do now if that happened I'd feel terrible, I don't want him to worry about me anymore.

I sighed again as I heard a sound outside my door and quickly sat up to see what it was. I listened closely to the sounds coming from beyond my door. It was a quite sound of soft footsteps. They slowly got closer and closer to the door of my bed room. So I became aware that I may have to try and fight them off if I had to.

I jumped out of bed silently and got into a fighting stance that I had watched Bruce Lee get into over a million times before. I didn't know how much I could do at the current age of my body but I'd try my best.

I watched as my door slowly slid open and Luffy's head popped into the room. I sighed in relief and let my stance slid into a much more relaxed one. Luffy looked at my face and then shuffled into the room and up to me standing a couple of inches taller than myself.

"Muse I can't sleep," Luffy muttered and then his stomach growled in want as I just looked at his face. I didn't know if I could make enough food to satisfy his stomach but I could try at the least.

So I grabbed Luffy by the arm and dragged him, along with myself into the kitchen opening the fridge and seeing what there was to make, while Luffy went and took his place at the table.

In the fridge there were many things to choose from I looked for something rather easy to make though and found what I was looking for. Makino had enough ingredients to make my moms special three ingredient soup. I could also make it fast and I could make a lot of it as well so it all worked out.

I quickly pulled out everything I needed then turned on the stove and got a pot. I quickly mixed and stirred the items as Luffy annoyed me from across the room. The soup was done in the span of about five minutes, to which I got a bowl and filled it with soup. I handed the bowl to Luffy and watched from a cross from him as he drank down the soup.

Luffy ended up eating about six bowls of the soup I made and I smiled lightly at him. He really wasn't all that bad or was he really all that annoying, just ambitious and free thinking.

I stored the soup that was left and put it away in the fridge for another time, or another midnight snack for Luffy.

"You know you're a really good cook," Luffy beamed at me from where he sat happier now that his stomach was full.

"Well now you can have a good night sleep," I spoke then walked back to my room as Luffy followed me grinning as always. We went our separate ways when we got to our rooms.

I settled back into my bed and closed my eyes again not being able to sleep; maybe I should just give up on it tonight. I heard foot steps again from outside my door but this time they weren't as settle as they were before.

My door silently swung all the way open this time and Luffy stood there looking straight at me again. It seemed that I wasn't the only one who couldn't get any sleep tonight. Though I did wonder what he wanted this time, He couldn't be hungry again already we had only gone our separate ways about ten minutes ago.

"I can't sleep," Luffy mumbled out to me from where he stood, even though it had been such a short time ago that we departed. I could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't only here because he couldn't sleep.

"Well then, come here," I spoke than motioned for Luffy to come over to where I was sitting on my bed. He walked over and I moved over for him to get in as well. He slid into the bed and then we both laid down with backs to each other.

Though it seemed that the change of beds wasn't helping him sleep either, so I silently rolled over. I poked him in the back to get his attention and he rolled over to face me as well with a sort of frustrated look on his face. Most likely from the fact that he couldn't get to sleep.

I sat up as he stayed laying down on the bed then started to hum and reached my hand down , running my fingers through his hair. I did this because this is what my mother used to do to me when I couldn't sleep at night. I couldn't think of a lullaby thought, well other than hush little baby but that song felt too young for even Luffy. So I decided to hum a different one.

I hummed a song that I liked to sing by myself all the time when I was alone at home. The song just happened to be arms by Christina Perri. The song and my movements seemed to do the trick and Luffy was asleep in less than ten minutes.

I slowly stopped my humming and then softly laid back down on the bed and turned away from Luffy. Then finally I slipped off to sleep as well.

Makino's pov

I ended up staying at the bar a little longer than I though I would. So I softly slid into the house and then set my things down on the kitchen table leaving them there for tomorrow morning.

I made my way towards the back of the house to check on both Luffy and Muse. I walked into Luffy's room first and became a little frightened when I found him not in there. So I quickly made my way into Muse's room to see if she was ok.

I opened the door silently but still fast only to see Luffy and Muse tangled together in there sleep snoring softly. I smiled at there peaceful forms and then closed the door silently as I left the room and then walked towards my own room to get some sleep of my own.

My pov

The sunlight couldn't be mistaken as I woke up and it shined brightly in my eyes. I looked over beside me to see Luffy still there tangled up with me and sound asleep in his own little world. I silently untangled myself and got out of the bed then made my way over to the dresser and Picked out some clothes. I then walked into Luffy's room to change and get ready for the day. I walked back in my room to grab the things that I always carried around with me, and then quickly scampered back out afraid of waking Luffy up.

It seemed that I was the first one awake in the house so I wrote a simple note before I left out the front door. I'd finally see what I could do in this world without any bystanders to interrupt me.

I snuck into the woods and then took off as fast as I could. My speed was incredible, I mean I was fast back home but now I'm beyond fast. The nature around me looked like splotches of color as I ran dodging around brown splotches and jumping over green ones.

I ran so fast I was in the middle of the woods before I even knew what was going on. I quickly stopped in my tracks to see exactly where I was. In front of me was a small lake with a few rocks around it and a tree stump to the side where anyone could easily sit down and read, nice and peaceful. The water in the lake was crystal clear and all I could hear around me was the sweet sound of birds laughing in the distance.

When ever I had watched anime I had always seen people with the ability to punch through a rock. So I decided to try it out as well. I Walked right up to a rock on the side of a lake and punched with my bare hand.

As anyone might have guessed it hurt like hell and nothing happened at all. I held my hand and started hopping around the clearing tying to take my mind off the pain. Though after a while the pain suddenly subsided and I felt as good as new.

The next skill I wanted to try out would be my sneaking. I quietly jumped into a tree and waited. I was sure an animal would come to this clearing for to the water in the lake. And sure enough I was as right as rain. A deer with chocolate brown fur and doe eyes made its way slowly to the watering hole and started to slowly lap at the water cautiously after only a little while of my waiting. I crept through the tops of the trees in till I was in range.

I silently jumped out of the tree and landed on the deer, startling it and shortly after falling off of it as it ran off back into the woods. I felt a little bad for chasing it away but that shortly passed as well.

Though that was just an animal, I know animals have good hearing but I'm sure there are people out there with better hearing. I'd need a better target for this training; I'd needed a real person who was strong. Then It came to me who else than Shanks.

I'd trail Shanks around for a day and see if he notices me, I'll have to stay on my feet the whole time. This will be the ultimate test of my new abilities in this world. Just you wait mom, Brother I'll get strong and come back to you some day.


	5. I'm sneaking, but not very well

Chapter 5

This was going to be a fun day for sure, well if I wasn't caught that was. First things first I have to find out where Shanks is going and who he's going with him.

The best way to find out those two things is to sneak onto his ship. So I made my way back through the woods and through the small village, which just happened to be pretty empty at this time in the morning, as fast as I possibly could. I made sure to be more careful in the village I didn't want them to think me a freak or something after only three days of being here.

The harbor was nice, it was well taken care of and all the boats were lined up in neat rows across the water. I could tell as soon as I looked which ship belonged to Shanks, it was the biggest ship out there and his jolly roger swayed in the breeze above it.

I snuck down the wooden road over to the water and hid behind some barrels near there ship. No one was coming off the ship at the moment and this may be my only time to get on.

So I ran for it, up the sloped bridge and on to the red haired pirate's ship quickly ducking behind more barrels. Good thing too because as soon as I slid behind the barrels a big guy with purple hair walked out of the main part of the ship.

The man stretched and then walked over to the front of the ship looking out at the sea. I moved my foot slightly to get into a better position, accidentally making a scuffing sound, causing the man to quickly turn around looking every where as I held my breath. These guys were good, if a subordinate could hear so well think about how well the captain could hear. I'd have to be a lot more careful when I'm following Shanks around.

The man's eye lids narrowed into furrowed lines as his eyes sneaked across the ship. I couldn't see him now because I was completely hidden behind the barrels but I could feel his eyes in my direction.

Then I heard foot steps coming towards me they grew closer and closer and then stopped right in front of the barrels where I sat hiding. My eyes widened and I though, could I really be found out already, I wouldn't get to really see how good I was if so.

I heard the boards of the ship squeak as two feet slightly lifted off the ship to lean forward and look over the barrels. I had to think fast or I'd defiantly be found out. I looked around me but there was nothing there that could help me the only other option I'd have was to knock him out.

I don't know if I could but I'd at least try before I gave up. If they found me like that though they'd probably think me and spy of some kind. That wouldn't be very good for my health.

So I came to the conclusions that if he found me I'd just have to tell them what I was really up to. It was over, or well maybe not, more footsteps sounded and laughter filled the area as three more men walked out of the main part of the ship.

I heard the man lean back into place as three pairs of feet made there way onto the deck of the ship.

"What are you doing up so early Daigoro?" One man asked the one that almost found me out.

"Couldn't sleep I guess," The man spoke nonchalantly as the four of them walked away from where I was sitting. It seemed the man had forgotten all about the noise but I wasn't going to take any chances.

I saw that the doors that lead to the inside of the sip was left standing open so I ran for it and made it. Just inside the door was a long narrow hall way, if anyone were to walk this way I'd have no escape.

I walked fast but still silently, I didn't need anyone coming down this hall way in till I could find a room to duck into. And apparently that room needed to appear fast. It seemed that more people woke up because I heard their footsteps just up ahead of me. I couldn't turn back because of the men on deck so I jogged ahead.

The footsteps and I got closer and closer. And by the time I found a room to duck into they were just around the corner. I quickly ducked inside and leaned against the door so to hear the footsteps go by.

The footsteps scurried past and I sighed in relief.

"How'd you get here little one," A voice sounded from behind me and I looked back to spot a man in a chef's hat and clothing. I looked around the room and also saw that I was in the kitchen.

"Shh, please don't tell anyone I'm here," I pleaded with the man in front of me.

"What's your name little miss?" He questioned me.

"People call me Muse," I said back

"Well then Muse my names Hachiuma, and I don't see any problem in keeping my mouth shut if I didn't see anything," Hachiuma spoke and then turned his head away from me and started to whistle.

I bowed to him slightly in thanks; He was a nice man I'd have to remember to thank him personally next time I got to talk to him. Then snuck back out the door and down the hall some more. I walked for a while and the hall never once changed. The walls roof and floors were all brown from the wood of the ship, there were no paintings on the walls or rugs on the floor. The hall way was barren and simple in design. Nothing caught my eye in till another door came in to my sighting so I put my ear up to the door and listened for any noise. No sound escaped the door so I swiftly slid inside.

The room looked to be the map room, there was a desk with maps piled up on top of it and the room was filled with compasses and protectors. At the front of the room had a couple of windows looking out onto the deck, though the curtains were drawn so no one could see me. I looked around out of curiosity and just barely heard the door as it slid open.

I dived behind a stack of books and waited not moving and I tired to slow my heart rate down along with my breathing. It seemed to work because my nerves lessened and my breath grew shallow.

I didn't want to look out from behind the books yet so I just listened in hoping to recognize the men by there voices instead.

"Its way too early in the morning," a voice yawned that I recognized it was shanks, I'd finally found him.

"Your just lazy," another voice jumped in who happened to be Ben.

I heard there footsteps move across the room and over towards the desk in the middle.

"So what do we have to do today?" Shanks asked and I heard bones popping so I was guessing someone was stretching.

"We need to get some supplies, we don't have much more on the ship," Ben answered in a cool tone.

"But we're not going to be setting sail for another couple weeks can't that wait?" Shanks asked "We should be partying while were still young," Shanks finished laughing.

"No we need to get supplies first it's the most important thing," Ben spoke in a that's-how-its-going-to-go-down type of way.

"We need food and some more to drink," Ben spoke

"Well that changes everything," Shanks spoke most likely talking about the lack of booze on board the ship. I almost giggled at how Shanks acted but held it in. I hared footsteps walk out the door and then Shanks said.

"Hurry up Ben I don't want the rum to ever be gone when at sea again," Ben sighed and then walked out the door and shut it behind them. I waited a moment to make sure they wouldn't pop back up in the room. Though I didn't wait to long I didn't want to lose them.

So there going to be waking around town all day, now the only problem is getting off the ship without being found out. I walked out of my hiding spot and over to a window that was in the front of the room.

I slid the drapes a bit to the left and looked through the window to see . . . no one here. I then heard a rush of feet and a door down the hall slam. I guess it was time for there breakfast. As I was about to turn away from the window I saw Ben and Shanks from the corner of my eyes, looks like they were going to skip breakfast.

I ran out the door and ran as fast as I could down the hall. I couldn't let them get too far ahead of me. I made it to the deck in no time and by the time I got there I realized I was a little reckless by just blindly running down that hall. Good thing no one saw me.

I looked around as I stepped on to the harbor and saw them just as they were about to walk out of sight. I hurried after them in the shadows and finally caught up with them when they stepped into a shop.

I peeked in through the shop keepers' window and saw Ben and Shanks picking up different pieces of who knows what, looking at them. I kept my eyes on the window but felt something creep up behind me. I didn't say anything or turn around but I was ready for what ever it was.

"Hey Muse!" I heard Luffy shout behind me as I quickly ducked down grabbing Luffy as I went just as Ben turned his head in our direction.

"Shh, you idiot they'll hear us," I spoke then looked back up at the window Ben had leaned over and whispered to Shanks, most likely warning him of our presence, just great now they know that someone is following them. Damn Luffy and his tendencies to cause trouble where ever he goes.

"Why?" Luffy leaned up as well and looked over my shoulder to spot Ben and Shanks in side the shop as well. The two of there muscles were tighter and more stiff now they were ready for any movement what so ever. Which I guess only lead to one good thing; they didn't yet know who I was, yet.

"I'm trailing Shank, I want to see if he can catch me," I whispered to Luffy as I stared through the window never taking my eyes off the two pirates in the store.

"Ohh I want to join!" Luffy jumped around excitedly as I grabbed him again and pulled him down. Luffy was going to get me seen but if I left him here he'd most likely tell Shanks that I was the one following him and Ben so I'd just have to take him along. I bent down again and turned my head towards Luffy.

"Fine Luffy but you have to listen to me ok?" I questioned him and he nodded in my direction. I was starting to feel more and more like a mother hen now a days than ever before.

I looked back through the window and noticed the two were coming out and grabbed Luffy's arm then ran across the street where Luffy and I hid behind a wall. The two exited the shop and started there walk down the street again but this time there walk was much more cautious than before.

They walked by the walk Luffy and I stood behind and kept walking down the street.

"You know if we're going to spy on them we'll need something else to wear," I spoke to Luffy then told him to stat put as I walked into the store that Shanks and Ben had just walked out of. As I walked in I looked around the tiny shop and found that the owner was in the back and the front of the store was empty. I saw two worn out cloaks in the corner and decided that the owners and workers here wouldn't miss them and if they did I'd return them later then snatched them. I ran back across the street throwing one on myself and then threw one on Luffy as well.

Luffy and I snuck; well I snuck Luffy really just walked behind me with a bored look on his face. We wound through the streets stalking the two gentlemen for quite some time in till we found our selves in front of them in stead of behind for a change.

"Muse this is boring," Luffy whined and kept walking as I came to a complete stop, he on the other hand almost walking out in front of Shanks and Ben. Though I pulled him back, but I don't know if I did in enough time. I took in a shaky breath and held it as they walked by Luffy and I's hiding spot. It felt like ages in till they finally passed.

I looked around the corner to see them still walking out of sight I though we were out of the clear in till Luffy sighed. The two of them quickly turned around and then the chase was on.

"Come on!" Luffy exclaimed then laughed as he grabbed my hand and took off down the road.

Luffy and I ran our way down the side streets; I let him lead the way since he's lived here longer than I have. Our black cloaks fluttered in the wind as we ran down different streets and turned around different corners. All the places we passed were just a mesh of colors that passed us by.

Though our escape plan didn't really look to good, Shanks and Ben were right behind us. They were also catching up fast, I would just take off at top speed but I couldn't just leave Luffy here to suffer their wrath alone.

I sighed we weren't going to get away so we might as well just stop. Only problem is I didn't want to, for some odd reason I just didn't want to give up, guess it was because I'd come so far as it is. So I kept on running when an idea popped into my head.

I smirked under my hood and pulled Luffy back a bit and swiftly hoisted him onto my back. Now I could run much faster.

"Hold on tight," I whispered back to Luffy and as I felt his hands tighten on my cloak I took off. I was at top speed in no time. As I looked behind my self no one was in sight.

Though now that I think about it looking behind me wasn't the best of plans in the first place. Because, in the next moment I ran right into two legs successfully falling down and bringing Luffy down with me. I looked up carefully and spotted Shanks in front of me sporting a serious face for a change.

Though still giving up wasn't what I was thinking, if I had learned anything from watching so many martial arts movie it's there's never only one way out of a situation.

So I quickly turned around and grabbed Luffy's arm ready to take off only to see Ben standing there. I looked around but on each side we were surrounded by walls. It was over we were caught and I can admit it felt kind of sucky.

Luffy was quick to have my back though and stood facing Shanks as I stood facing Ben. We were back to back and ready to fight even though we didn't have to.

"You're pretty fast aren't you?" Shanks asked as he leaned slightly around Luffy to get a look at me. Though Luffy leaned in the way of shanks vision and spoke up himself.

"Of course she is she's my little sister," Luffy exclaimed as he threw off his hood and I followed in suit. The two men looked on in shook and then smirked at each other.

"If you want to stalk us like enemies," Ben spoke leaning slightly forward.

"Then we'll just have to treat you guys like them, huh?" Shanks questioned smiling now and looked a lot more playful.

I stiffened a little and frowned a bit, this is a situation I did not want to be in. So I leaned my head back slightly so that I could whisper to Luffy.

"Luffy," I spoke to make sure I had his attention "On my count throw your coat over Shanks and run, we'll meet up later if we can," I spoke and then leaned forward again towards my own opponent, Ben.

"Count!" I shouted then both Luffy and I tore off our stolen clothing and through them at the two men. My plan was a success as the two men were momentarily blinded to allow just enough time for me to slide between Bens Legs and for Luffy to rush past Shanks.

Then the chase was on again, as I took off at full speed away from the scene. Not looking back once, Luffy can take care of himself or at least that's what I hopped. Ben was following me as I decided to take to the forest. The cover of the trees and brush may make it harder for him to track me.

I took off down a road that would lead me straight there; as I ran I passed by shops and windows, though everything was pretty much a blur by now. Then I decided to do something stupid again and checked the streets behind me. No one was there again meaning Ben could be any where. I needed to sharpen my senses and I needed to do it fast.

So I closed my eyes and tuned out all sound, except for the sound I was looking for. I remembered that Ben carried a big gun on his side so I looked for that sound.

_Flop_

_Tink_

_Step_

_Step_

_Flop_

_Tink_

_Step_

_Step_

_Flop_

_Tink_

I heard those two sounds over lapping each other along with the foot steps of a runner. The sounds were coming from above me. I then let my eyes fall open, so he was running on the rooftops.

He wouldn't be able to keep that up for long though since the forest was now in sight. I shifted my eyes from right to left and caught sight of Luffy. He was being held up by a smiling Shanks. I slowed down a bit to go and save him and he looked up just in time to see me slow my pace.

"Keep running Muse!" Luffy opened his mouth and shouted out to me from Shanks arms. The shout made Shanks look over at me and then glance back wards, which gave the hit that someone was there.

I listened closely and heard footsteps right behind me, I quickly rolled out of the way as hands appeared right where I used to be. I looked back slightly and saw Ben standing there with an amused gleam in his eyes.

Then I took off once again making my way into the woods, closing my eyes to concentrate again. I heard footsteps behind me but they weren't to close so I decided to hide.

I climbed a tree and hid in the leaves waiting for Ben to run by and to make my escape back into town. I listened to his footsteps and then held my breath as I watched his figure run through the trees and pass by my hiding spot. I let my breath go when he was far out of sight and relaxed in my seat.

"Found you," A voice whispered behind me as I felt arms rap around me from behind and hold on tight so that my arms couldn't move. I should have been more careful but I just never brought in the factor that Shanks would be after me as well.

I sighed in defeat and just hung there without putting up a fight as Shanks jumped down from the tree we were in and carried me. Ben met up with us on the way back to the ship. The citizens of the town eyed us strangely as they watched the three of us go by. And Shanks's crew watched on with even stranger faces as we walked on to the ship.

I looked around at the faces on the boat and spotted Hachiuma who smirked at me as we passed. That guy new that something like this was going to happen all along, oh man he's going to get it. So I turned my head and glared at him slightly as he just shook his head back and forth most likely laughing under his breath at my antics.

Shanks and Ben ended up taking me back into the map room that I had over heard there plans for the day in. But there were some additions to the room this time, there were two chairs and a very hyper active Luffy tied to one of them.

Shanks finally let me go as he set me on the chair and then he and Ben leaned on the table that was in front of us.

"So what were you two doing following us?" Shanks inquired as he smiled goofily down at us.

"Muse looked like she was having fun so I wanted to join in," Luffy spoke up, he ratted me out really quickly, looks like he doesn't know how to evade questioning.

Shanks and Ben both looked over at me with there eyes, both looking for an answer to the question.

"I just felt like it" I said then looked at the ground; I didn't want to tell them that I just wanted to see how good I was at following people.

"How long have you been following us?" Ben asked

"I don't have to say," I spoke then turned my head to the left while still looking at the ground. What can I say I'm a stubborn person. Shanks sighed and then walked towards me and bent down to look me in the eyes. Though I closed my eyes and still kept my face turned to the side.

I grew a little scared at this point, I always knew him to be a nice guy from the show. But was he really that nice, I mean he only met me yesterday and I was caught "Following" him.

"You don't have to be afraid ya know," I heard Shanks say and slowly looked at his face to see a friendly smile.

"You can trust us you know," Shanks spoke as his smile turned soft and his eyes closed lightly. It was the kind of smile I hoped my dad would always show to me when I was little. The smile made me feel so little but so big at the same time.

I never though in all my life that a simple smile could make me feel so, so completely venerable. Or that It could make me cry, I cried for the second time since I came to this strange world and I didn't understand why either.

"D-don't cry," Shanks jumped a little in surprise and a weird look came on to his face as he quickly grabbed a handkerchief from his coat pocket and started whipping my tears away.

"Hey don't be sad ok," Shanks said still a little out of his comfort zone as more tears dripped out of my eyes. Though I didn't feel sad I guess this is what people call happy tears and they felt kind of good to tell the truth. So I smiled and looked up at Shanks's face only to result in him becoming confused.

"Sorry," I spoke "sorry, sorry, sorry," I repeated as all three men in the room looked at me strangely as I kept smiling while whipping my tears away.

"I failed," I heard Luffy whisper next to me as his eyes down cast and he stopped smiling completely.

"No you didn't Luffy," I spoke "These are happy tears so it doesn't mater," I finished

"Happy tears?" He questioned then smiled again looking a lot happier with him self than he did before. Though then we heard someone clear there throat and looked towards them. It just happened to be Ben but Shanks was the one to speak.

"Well looks like we got a lil' off topic don't cha think," Shanks said looking at us with a gleam in his eyes knowing the atmosphere was now calm again. "Now then miss Muse how long had you been following us?" Shanks questioned.

"Since before you left," I chortled smugly rising my head a bit feeling a bit more refreshed after that heart felt moment.

"Wow Muse your good," Luffy raved succeeding in raising the little ego that I had.

"Oh but don't get too happy," Shanks said still with that mysterious gleam in his eyes. "You'll both be getting a punishment for spying on us," Shanks spoke while Ben cut Luffy's rope and dragged him out of the room whining all the way. I started to follow the two as well when a hand stopped me.

"I still have some questions for you muse," Shanks said as I took my seat again a little cautiously.

"So will you answer my question truefully this time when I ask you how you became so smart?" Shanks asked and I knew that I'd have to tell him something.

"Please don't tell anyone," I whispered and made my decision, I was going to tell him the truth or at least part of it. He just nodded his head and leaned forward slightly so to hear me better.

"I… well… you see…," I spoke looking at me feet while fiddling with my dress trying to think how I should phrase my next couple sentences. I mumbled a little and then hared a sigh escape from Shanks mouth.

"You don't have to tell me right away I suppose," Shanks spoke and rubbed my head in an apologetic manner. "I know you're a good kid and that you'll tell me when you're ready,"

I smiled back up at him and sighed in my head, I dodged a bullet on that one, in retrospect I'd have to act more like a kid from now on when I met adults in this world. And guessing from where I was in the show the next two adults I'd meet would be Garp and Dadan.

"Muse as a child what was your biggest dream?" he asked out of no where, what a strange man Shanks was.

But I though about it for a second and then answered "To have a dad that was proud of me." He smiled down at me then stood up and walked to the door. As I followed him out of it, not asking me anymore questions. Everything was quite for a few seconds before I started a question.

"So about that Punishment. . ." I said seeing if I was going to get out of it.

"Oh yah," He smirked down at me and I knew that I was going to have to do something I didn't like.


	6. Cleaning, or am I?

Chapter 6

The sun reached across the afternoon sky while my head was declined in dissatisfaction. Much of the crew circled around the area in which I now stood looking up at me in confusion. They were anticipating something from me thanks to this punishment and Shanks.

"Now say it Muse," Shanks spoke with a little chuckle in his voice as I frowned down at him.

"Do I really have to?" I questioned the firey headed man in front of me as he just shook his head up and down in a prominent manner.

"Of course, it's your own fault," Shanks bit back as I sighed. You see I stood as the front of the boat on top of a crate about to start the first part of my punishment.

"Huh," I sighed again then took a deep breath putting a smile on "Shanks is the best captain in the world and someday I want to marry him." I spouted off in a childish tone, and though it may not seem all that bad to some, to me it was the worst punishment I was ever given. For a creepy old man who I though was nice to me, to make me say something like that, ugh.

The men laughed in a barking manner and spouted off crude words like.

"Awe isn't that sweet." and

"Hey captain, do you think she'll make a good wife." and my least favorite came from Shanks himself.

"Puh, she's much too young for me."

That sly arrogant man, he was the one that made me do this in the first place. I could feel the steam escape my ears and swear that it was visible. While a wide a blotchy blush curved around my tender cheeks and snacked its way up to meet my ears. My temper flared as I stared down at that red crab headed man, but I let the anger pass; there was always time later to get him back. I'd just have to wait and bide my time. I'd get him back some day even if it took me ten years I don't forget.

Yep that was the first part of my punishment but I still had the second part to do as well. I'd have to clean the ship for the next week. Yah I had to crush my pride, and clean a ship. But Luffy got off with a pat on the head and cleaning the ship for two days. And he still complained about.

"Muse can you do this for me?" Luffy would question me as he slumped against the wall with his tongue out looking exhausted when he hadn't done anything at all muttering something about meat under his breath. Kind of glad that only ended up lasting about two days. I couldn't live with his constant bickering while I worked and tried to plan the down falls of my new enemies.

The next week was filled with chores and me getting back at Hachiuma for what they had done to me. Hachiuma for not giving me the heads up when I snuck on to the ship, yah I know it wasn't his job and he didn't rat me out but that didn't mean anything. I already made a promise to myself that I'd get him back and I did. Then there was Shanks with his cruel misguided punishment, he would surely get his comeuppance though sadly I didn't get back at him through this week. But I did get back at Hachiuma, the day I got back at Hachiuma was actually pretty funny if I do say so myself.

_I walked about the deck of the ship mopping up various places that looked dirty. My hair was pulled back into a ponytail so that I didn't get things in my hair from the wind that blew today. A scowl was placed on my face at how unfair the situation was. Luffy was let off about two days ago but I still had to clean because I was the "mastermind" _

_But really Luffy didn't have to follow me if he didn't want to and I kind of think I would have been better off if he didn't follow. I was the only one of deck at the moment everyone else was inside eating lunch at the moment. They had offered me to eat with them but let's just say I wasn't very hungry and just leave it at that for now._

"_Ahhhh," Screams erupted from inside the ship and a smile came to my lips for the first time in four days. I then snickered quite evilly as it reminded me of a song I use to sing all the time, When Your Evil. I didn't remember who sang it but it was the perfect song for this moment._

_The reason being is that I just got my revenge on Hachiuma. As I snickered the doors to the ship flew open and just the man that I was thinking of came flying out. The rest of the crew following in an angry hoard caught him and haled him up to the mast of the ship. _

_They proceeded to tie a rope around him successfully binding him to the mast. As I watched him struggle his eyes wondered around the ship and spotted my smirking face. He scowled and knew then and there that I had done it, but what did I do? Well I snuck into the kitchen when Hachiuma was called out and proceeded to drench the food that Hachiuma made with hot sauce. Yah oldest trick in the book and most childish one was well but hey it worked._

"_I didn't do it!" Hachiuma shouted after the men successfully tied him to the mast._

"_Then who did?" a calm Ben asked standing in the front as Shanks nursed his abused tongue off to the side, just what he deserved too._

"_It was her," Hachiuma yelled and pointed over to me with his head as I glanced up from my work with a confused look. "Stop looking so innocent you tricked them and framed me admit it!" He shrieked._

"_Hachiuma-san I've been cleaning all day," I spoke softly and smiled at him "but if it makes you feel better you can blame this on me." I then went back to my work with my head down laughing on the inside._

"_You did do it, I'm not just blaming you," Hachiuma spoke back trying to compress his anger._

"_Tch, don't blame children on your mistakes," One the crew members said and then a chorus of yah's followed after. The men walked away and ignored Hachiuma, as they walked they sent him glares._

_The men made there way back inside and into the kitchen most likely to look for something a little more edible._

"_Having fun over there," I taunted the poor man as he growled._

"_Just you wait," The man sneered over to me "I'll get you back."_

_Huh like I'd let him, and now that I had got back at Hachiuma it was time for Shanks. You know what they say I guess one down one to go._

Of course though Shanks punishment had to be much more demeaning and unpleasant than Hachiuma's was. The next day was a lot more uneventful then the one before hand was though.

_The sunlight shown through a sparkling mist of morning dew as I again worked through my punishment upon Shank's ship. It was the day after I had gotten back at Hachiuma and I was again cleaning the hall ways and deck of the ship. Or was I really? That day the only people on the ship we're myself and Ben because he lost a bet on who would stay back to watch over me as I cleaned._

_The others decided to venture off to various locations, Makino's bar, the black smith, or they just wondered around town for all I know. But today couldn't be a better day to Slack off, good thing Ben didn't really watch me._

_I submitted my self to some prancing about the deck barely paying any attention to where I sweeping or to anything I was doing for that matter. After having gotten used to my punishment I wasn't as angry anymore just grumpy in a way. So I moved around the deck not worried about getting yelled at by one of the crew members and not really doing any work. _

"_Hmm, I don't think Shanks would be too happy about your lacking off," I heard a deep and gruff voice come from behind me. Being as Ben and myself were the only two people upon this fine vessel, I could guess who it was. So I turned around the faced the tall man that loomed in the hallway door._

"_I don't see Shanks any where around here," I pushed out in a snobbish tone between my lips. Though Ben just let out a low chuckle and pushed himself off from the wall and walked towards me._

_Ben stopped right in front of me and proceeded to stare down at me in a mannerism as though I new what he wanted from me._

"_Yes?" I questioned as we just started at each other for a long enough period of time._

"_I'd like to know something," The tall man inquired to me then just kept staring; I was really just starting to think that Ben was actually just a crappie but I played along. Creepers can get violent at times and I don't want that to happen._

"_That would be?" I questioned slowly _

"_Do you enjoy pranking people, or is it just for vengeful purposes?" Ben inquired in a calm way as I froze and slowly and rigidly turned my head away from him. I coughed discreetly and turned my head back to answer him like any other defiant little girl would._

"_I don't have to tell you anything," I smoothly spoke then went back to sweeping. Ben chuckled once again probably thinking about how childish I was acting but that was what I've been going for so I guess I'm finally doing it right. _

_Ben plopped down right next to the area I was sweeping and leaned his head on his hands. I knew he was going to say something so I just kept quite till he decided to speak._

"_You don't have to tell me anything," Ben spoke sounding just like Shanks. Then laid down popping a cigarette into his mouth and said not a word._

_I went on with my work as he stayed silent. Well I went on with my work in till he got in the way of my sweeping. I sighed then set down next to him and finally answered his question._

"_Only for vengeful purposes," I spoke smoothly and with confidence. I don't know exactly why but owning up to my prank made me feel like my prank was something to brag about even though it wasn't. _

"_Hmmm, your going to go after Shanks as well then," he more of proclaimed then asked. While I on the other hand didn't speak back at all, I didn't need to answer something he already knew._

"_Well some good advice for that," He spoke letting the smoke from his cigar leap into the air. "Be careful," _

_Yah great advice that really helps me out, I didn't already know that or anything. People can give such useless information._

Today was my last day of chores though and then I was finally off the hook. But I guess it really wasn't all that bad. I made friends with a lot of the crew and learned some new things from Ben about this strange world as I wondered around the ship and was pulled into different conversations.

So I smiled as I finished cleaning the windows in the map room and admired my work.

"Muse are you done?" a voice questioned me from the door way and when I turned around I saw that the man in the door way was Lucky Roux. This hefty man and I weren't friends but neither were we enemy's, we were quite neutral.

"Just finished," I beamed up at the man the best I could and only seemed to pull off a really happy looking half smile.

"We're headed over to Makino's, will you be joining us?" The big man asked. I shook my head in an, that'd be awesome, manner and set down my wash cloth.


	7. I'll be happy to meet you again

**Yay, i'm happy to finally get this chapter out, i have been so busy lately but i just got a three day weekend to myself. I'm hoping to upadate some of my other stories as well. I also thank you all for liking my story, and I hope you like this chapter too.**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 7<span>

Green shrubs brushed against my hands and sides as I hiked through the jungle. Bugs buzzed my head in an angry manner and brown dirt laid disliked beneath my, not meant for hiking, sandals. I did change the rest of my outfit in preparation for this hike though. That unruly dress changed into a black tank top, red jacket, jeans that reached down to my ankles and a beanie like hat that had bear ears and attached under my chin.

Shanks had left a week ago from today and it was a sad goodbye though it held promises of a meeting in the future. So I guess it was all ok in the end, though I never did get back at him. But I don't mind waiting a little while for my revenge it'll come one day. Huh, but some eventful things did happen with Shanks.

* * *

><p><em>The crew and I all marched down the street laughing and having a marry time on the way to Makino's. Though our laughter didn't stop or dwindle once we stepped inside the small pub and spotted Makino and Luffy. Shanks joined Luffy at the counter as the others obnoxiously took there seat around the dusty old bar. <em>

_Makino passed the beer to the pirates and they continued to pass it around themselves cheers as there beers sloshed around in their mugs. I took a seat next to Luffy as he smiled at me and I smiled back, only quite a bit smaller than he did._

"_Hey you've got to take me with you on your next adventure Shanks, I want to be a pirate just like you," Luffy spouted off excitedly as Shanks pulled off a hardy chuckle._

"_Right as if you could ever be a pirate," Shanks laughed out at the young boy in front of him as I got a juice from Makino._

"_Ha you can't even swim, how can you ever hope to be a pirate?" Yassop pushed into the conversation._

"_But my punches are like two pistols," Luffy bragged to the men._

"_Are they now?" Shanks questioned as he munched on some food._

"_What's that suppose to mean?" Luffy shouted_

"_It means you're to much of a kid, kid," Lucky belched out._

"_And he's right you know, I have boys older than you," Yassop added in_

"_I'm not a kid I'm a grown up!" Luffy yelled at them barring his teeth like a dog would._

"_Here have some juice and calm down," Shanks sighed and passed Luffy the drink._

"_Wow Thanks Shanks," Luffy exclaimed and took a drink of the juice as I watched him. Bad move on his part I guess._

"_I don't know one pirate who drinks juice," Shanks sputtered out while slamming his hand into the counter bedside him._

"_Hey you tricked me," Luffy yelled at Shanks again as the other laughed at him harder and harder each time he tried to defend himself. It was even a little hard for myself to hold the laughter in, didn't want to add insult to injury._

"_And what about your little sister, huh," Ben questioned from his spot._

"_Then we can take her with us," Luffy encouraged back as I thought about that idea. It wasn't a bad idea to tell the truth, if I didn't leave now I'd leave in the near future. Though I do think I should stay on the island a bit longer, I don't know a lot about this world yet._

"_You can't take a lady on the seas Luffy," Shanks spoke nodding his head"They are fragile creatures my boy." Now I couldn't help but to glare at that little slip of a comment. Fragile my ass there were numerous female pirates through out history, these were most likely the kind of people who just though women were bad luck on ships. But I could be over reacting Shanks is a pretty chivalric guy._

"_There also bad luck," Yassop threw in after my mental rant. _

"_Yah and that too," shanks grinned as he agreed with Yassop and crushed my hopes._

"_Well then I'll leave without Muse and come back for her later," Luffy spoke._

"_Then who's going to protect her while you're gone?" Shanks questioned_

"_I'll find someone," Luffy chimed in smiling happily as my anger just grew. Then I decided just to let a bit of it out._

"_I don't need a weakling like you, or anyone you choose to protect me," I shot out loud enough for all the others to hear just as the bar doors banged opened and one of the doors came flying forward._

"_Excuse us," a deep voice sounded as Shanks returned to eating and the crew became silent._

"_So these are what pass for pirates around these parts looks rather sad to me," The man or rather bandit spoke as he stepped closer to the counter of the shop._

"_Welcome gentlemen what can I do for you?" Makino questioned the man as he reached the counter and leaned into it. I watched the two closely, even though I didn't know Makino long she did take me in and I didn't want her to get hurt._

"_We're mountain bandits," the man spoke "but we didn't come here to tear your place apart, all we want is some alcohol, I'd say ten barrels should do," The annoying mountain bandit spouted off in a pitiful rant._

"_I'm sorry, but actually we're fresh out of sake right now," Makino spoke in a smooth tone._

"_hm, Interesting, these other pirates seem to be drinking, is that water in their glasses," the lead Bandit sarcastically answered._

"_No that just happened to be the last of what I had stocked up," Makino soothed out in hopes of not starting a conflict._

"_my apologies gentlemen, it looks like me and my friends drank the whole place dry, but you can have this if you want," Shanks smiled and held up a bottle of alcohol "Look it hasn't even been opened yet, go ahead," Shanks finished as the bandit reached his hand closer, only to smash the bottle in mid air and received gasps from some and glares from others, mostly me._

"_I'm wanted there's an 8 million berri bounty on my head, one bottle isn't enough so don't insult me," The man hissed out._

"_Just great now the floors wet, sorry about that Makino, got a rag I can clean this up with," Shanks questioned._

"_Oh don't worry about it I'll take care of it," Makino whipped out and ran around the counter._

"_If you find cleaning so enjoyable maybe you'll appreciate this," The bandit ranted and smashed more bottles that laid on the counter soaking Shanks and making me growl. The Bandit then proceeded to walk out of the building. Luffy shook as he held on to his glass and the bar doors swung shut. _

"_Captain are you ok?" Makino questioned him as he smiled._

"_Yah just fine," He spluttered out then he and his whole crew started laughing._

_Though Luffy interrupted the laughing fit with an out burst of his own, yelling about how Shanks should have done something. I to felt like yelling but knew it wouldn't bring about anything good. My thought process was broken though by an audible crunch and I new then and there Luffy was taking a bite out of a devil fruit._

"_You shouldn't eat out of frustration Luffy," Shanks laughed out._

"_Shut up," Luffy spoke out grumpily chewing a big bite of the fruit in his hands._

"_Wait what are you eating?" Shanks questioned in worry._

"_Looks like a purple fruit," I nonchalantly spoke_

" _No you didn't, don't tell me you ate the fruit that was inside that box," Shanks ranted worriedly then picked Luffy up, turning him to hold him by his feet as he screamed and Shanks shook him up and down._

"_Spit it out right now, every single bit," Shanks shouted frustrated._

"_What are you doing why are you shacking me," Luffy yelled out and then his body stretched and sunk to the floor._

"_What's going on?" Luffy questioned_

"_Luffy you just ate the gum gum fruit, this fruit is known as a devil fruit and with it you'll never be able to swim again, and you've also gained the ability to stretch yourself," Shanks finished._

"_No way!" Luffy shouted out and into the fleeting air._

* * *

><p><em>About a week latter, Shanks crew wasn't in the bar like normal but the bandits were. They were spotting off lies and jokes about Shanks. Let's just say that didn't sit well with Luffy.<em>

"_Stop it!" Luffy shouted catching the others attentions and making me sigh slightly._

"_Stop making fun of Shanks and his crew they aren't wimps at all," Luffy shouted again._

"_Luffy no," Makino tried to stop him, but it was far too late for that._

"_You better stop right now you stupid bandits!" Luffy shouted again and the bandits advanced toward him._

"_Now, now gentlemen," I stepped between Luffy and the man, while speaking in a childish voice with a smile, trying for the first time since I got here to kind of act like the age I looked._

"_Step out of the way little girl," The bandit spoke then roughly pushed me out of the way, making me skid across the floor, from my refusal to fall. Then he once again stepped closer to Luffy. Ok maybe I wouldn't be able to act the age I looked, especial with people who look so threatening walking towards Makino and Luffy._

_I snuck up behind the tall man with a bottle then I jumped on his back and whacked him as heard as I could across the back of his skull, succeeding in delaying the bandit for a few seconds as I grabbed Luffy and took off running as fast as he could go. Though that didn't last long and that's how we ended up here, me being held back, Luffy being pinned down and Shanks standing in front of the scene, with a worried Mayor, town's people, and Makino in the background._

"_I was wondering why the bar was empty on such a fine day," Shanks spoke shocking everyone around him and making me smile just a little._

"_So it's the mountain bandits again?" Shanks questioned and then everything went silent for a few seconds as the scene began to soak in._

"_Pirates, just now showing your head, have you been spending all this time scrubbing the village?" The Bandit questioned nastily._

"_Luffy didn't you say earlier that you punches are strong then pistols?" Shanks questioned thought he was obviously taunting him._

"_Shut your mouth," Luffy gasped out_

"_And what about Muse, I though you wanted to protect her?" Shanks questioned ignoring what Luffy just said, making him recline his head in guilt._

"_Psh," I spoke up "I don't need Luffy to protect me, the only person he needs to worry about is him self," I growled back while trying to break free, only to be yanked back. The result of the bigger man, damn this tiny body, yanking me back caused me to whimper and growl more in response, I don't like being man handled._

_I heard Luffy gasp and could only guess it was from my small whimper. As I struggled more against my captor I looked over at Luffy. I don't know what he saw in my face, or why he became so determined, but after just a glance it looked like he made up his mind._

"_Please save Muse," Luffy cried out against the foot that held him in place "I'm not strong enough to protect her yet, so for now could you do it for me Shanks?" Luffy pleaded as Shanks Smirked. _

"_Listen I don't know what you think your doing here but you might want to leave, you wouldn't want something bad to happen and I'm just the man to deliver this message," The man bragged as Shanks just kept stepping forward, coming to a stop when a man pointed a gun at him._

"_I'll blow your head off if I have to but that's up to you my friend," a random member of the bandits spoke as the others all laughed._

"_Would you risk your life?" Shanks questioned the random man._

"_Now that you've drawn your pistol are you willing to use it?" Shanks questioned again but more detailed._

"_What the hell are you talking about?" The random man questioned back_

"_I'm saying guns aren't for threats there for action," Shanks spoke and then the random man was shot through the head by Lucky. The action scared me a little; in fact it scared me a lot. I had never seen someone get shot before .All the voices around me seemed to drown into nothingness and the only thing in the white and black scope of vision I now held was that body. Lying their so lifeless, was the man even still alive, I mean he was shot in the head. Never did I ever really think that I would see someone bleeding to death right in front of me?_

_Though I didn't have much time to think about the man before me, because soon I was let go and thrust back wards into the dirt. My breath slowed and became steady as time seemed to slow down. I tried to stand but my vision still wavered and only showed me spots of black and white pictures like an old movie. I felt a slight tug to my left arm and then I felt my legs gain strength and then everything came back into focus. What was that?_

_Ben ended up grabbing me from the ground and pulling me with him as he attacked the rest of the soldiers._

"_If you really wanted to fight us a battle ship would have done more damage," Ben taunted the man._

"_Hold on please, it was the kid that attacked us," The man sputtered out_

"_I though you were a wanted man," Shanks threw out as the bandit quaked in his boots. Then the bandit screamed out and threw down a smoke bomb blinding us from him and Luffy. When the smoke vanished Luffy and the bandit were both gone?_

"_Luffy? Oh no I let that old guy take him, what are we going to do" Shanks freaked out_

"_Boss calm down quite freaking out we'll find him in no time," Lucky reassured the captain._

"_huh, what a guy," Ben sighed then took my hand and started to drag me away as I pulled to get away from him but sadly couldn't._

"_Let me go," I said was I wormed and struggled._

"_Don't worry Luffy will be ok," Ben spoke "But for now you need a rest," Ben finished then picked me up._

"_I didn't ask about Luffy, and I don't need to rest," I whined out but then felt sleep tug at my eye lids and realized I was tired. I didn't want to follow, but the allure of sleep was far too grand and it dragged me under._

* * *

><p><em>The next day I was told the story of how Shanks saved Luffy and lost his arm. I was also told that Shanks would be leaving today. So Luffy dragged me with him to say his goodbyes, though I was never good at such things.<em>

"_So you're really leaving?" Luffy questioned as we both stood at the docks watching Shanks men load the ships._

"_Yah it was a nice extended vacation, but we have to part ways now, I bet you'll miss me right?" Shanks questioned the younger man that his back was to._

"_Yah but this times different, I wont beg you to take me with you, because I'm going to become a pirate all on my own," Luffy spoke in a determined tone._

"_I wouldn't take you with me anyway, you'd never make it as a pirate," Shanks taunted the poor boy for what seemed like the hundredth time._

"_No I will make it as a pirate," Luffy shouted as everyone started at him "And one day I'm going to create a crew even better than yours then we're going to find the greatest treasure in the world and I'll be king of the pirates, I'll show you," Luffy yelled out._

"_So you think you'll surpass us?" Shanks questioned the quivering boy in front of him. "In that case I'll leave this hat to you, it means more to me than anything in the world so you better take good care of it, you hear me?" Shanks spoke setting his straw hat on top of Luffy's head._

_Shanks then turned to me, a smile on his face. _

"_Then theirs you, fiery, sly, little Muse, do you have something to tell me as well?" Shanks questioned and I though about it for a moment and then I answered._

"_Yes," I spoke "Don't think I'll forget about that little punishment you gave me," I threatened as he backed away a little bit from me._

"_I'll become an information broker, so that I can find you and my family one day," I smiled even though what I said was clichéd and cheese it was true. Shanks nodded at me and smiled back._

"_We may not have known each other long Muse, but I consider you a friend as well," Shanks offered and then set a book in my hands with the word "log,' on it. I only started at it in curiously._

"_You'll know what to do with it when the time comes," Shanks smiled and then he and his crew were off. As the villagers Luffy and I waved sorrowful goodbyes, thought I really wasn't a goodbye, it was more of an" I'll be happy to meet you again."_

* * *

><p>It was true it wasn't really good bye I'd meet Luffy again, though that wasn't the most eventful thing to happen this week. As I hiked through the woods, a large man was in front of me and Luffy walked beside me. The large man was the odd one out thought. I had just met this odd man not to long ago either.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Luffy and I slept peacefully in our separate rooms, like any other morning. That is in till a burly man broke through the door of my room with Makino behind him.<em>

"_Rise and Shine Luffy!" the man yelled into the air as I lifted my head into the air to see what was going on._

"_That's not Luffy's room," Makino scolded as the man blinked in my direction as I rubbed my eyes to see who this large man was. _

"_You should really be more careful Garp, you could have scared Muse," Makino went on and I indeed saw that it was Garp in the door way._

"_Muse? Garp questioned in my direction as I started back at him._

"_Yes, Muse, she is living with Luffy and I for the time being," Makino informed the brute._

"_Well not for long," Garp spoke._

"_What? What do you mean?" Makino questioned him calmly._

"_Luffy's going to be going away," he said as he searched around the house, for the most likely still sleeping Luffy. Looking like the young child I'm not, I decided to play my role._

"_Where's Luffy going?" I questioned innocently while Makino listened in and I followed Garp around the house._

"_He'll be going to the mountains for training," Garp told me as he smiled down at me in a warm fashion then resumed his search._

"_Can I come too?" I questioned the old man and he looked down at me in surprise._

"_The mountains aren't a place for young ladies like you to wonder around," Garp spoke and bent down so he could be more eye level with me, thought it really didn't help much in the long run of things._

"_I'll be fine," I spoke; I really didn't want to be left behind in a boring village where I wouldn't learn anything. Though Garp just sighed and opened the door to Luffy's room, I guess that still meant a no on my part._

"_Rise and shine Luffy!" Garp shouted again, finally realizing that he had found Luffy, making Luffy jump out of his bed and then land of the floor in front of him._

"_Pack your stuff we're leaving!" Garp yelled out again as he went to Luffy's thing and started to pull them out in messy clumps as Makino tried to stop him from making a mess she'd have to clean up later._

"_Where are we going?" Luffy questioned sleepily._

"_I'm taking you to live with a friend of mine in the mountains Luffy," Garp spoke happily as Luffy nodded and then grabbed my hand._

"_Come on Muse, we have to get your stuff packed too," Luffy grinned and then started to drag me out the door only to be stopped by Garp._

"_Luffy she can't go," Garp spoke as I glared sharply at him. "She's too young to come with us," Garp finished, ha if he only knew._

"_I wont go with out Muse, she's even stronger than me," Luffy argued and boasted, thought I never thought I'd here him say I was stronger than him._

"_Is that so," Garp spoke ominously towering over Luffy and I trying to intimidate us. Luffy quaked the held my hand tighter but he stood his ground in front of me as I glared at Garp._

"_Yes," Luffy spoke out more determined than he looked as Garp just kept trying to intimidate us, looking between Luffy's scared but determined form and my glare then stepping forward towards Luffy, looking like he was about to punch him. I quickly stepped forward shielding Luffy, even though I was younger and smaller than he was._

_Garp stopped then looked at me for a second with a glare, though I did not waver in my stance nor my glare as we held each others gazes for a moment. Then out of nowhere Garp laughed into the air and I eased up on my stance a bit._

"_I guess there is one more marine I'll have to train huh," Garp spoke._

"_I'm not going to be a marine, I'm going to be a pirate," Luffy shouted though Garp ignored him and only looked at me._

"_You're my first granddaughter, so I'll make sure to make you even tougher than my grandson's," Garp laughed again as he dragged me out of the room with Luffy following after him. What did I get my self into?_

* * *

><p>Yep and that's how I met the giant in front of me, Garp, and how I found myself hiking thought the woods up to Dadan's house. I sighed and then looked forward along the path in front of me, I was about to meet the jerk version of Ace and Dadan for the first time.<p> 


	8. Meeting Ace and Dadan

Hola, yes I got it out! Oh and I decided that I'm going to be putting up my progress of each chapter on my profile after I get started on it so that people don't have to wonder when my next chapter is going to be coming out. Also, god news next week I get a three day weekend! So hopefully I get to write a little more then. I personally think the end of this chapter is a little dull but I hope you like it.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 8<span>

As we neared the house Garp and Luffy started to fight. Luffy was being dragged around by his face as Garp yelled at him about how ridiculous it was for Luffy to become a pirate. As Luffy retaliated and whined about being hurt by Garp dragging him. I, myself, sighed in my head as I watched there little quarrel. No matter how much I wished for it, this place would never be uneventful.

"You are going to be a marine," Garp spoke rough fully to Luffy.

"I'd rather die than be a marine, I'm going to be a pirate!" Luffy shouted back defiantly and sort of muffled thanks to Garp.

"Why can't you be more like Muse?" Garp questioned somehow pulling me into a conversation I didn't want to be in. "She hasn't said one word about becoming a pirate," Garp spoke smiling happily, most likely thanking god he had one sane grandkid.

"Though I never said that I wanted to be a marine either," I spoke still walking forward and simply stating the truth as Garp stopped for a second and looked over to me as I continued to walk.

"What?" He questioned me a bit angrily as if he hadn't heard what I actually said; do I really have to repeat myself? I guess so huh?

"I said, I never said I wanted to be a marine," I spoke, this time a bit slower than before so that he wouldn't ask me again.

"Well then what are you going to be, I most certainly don't want all my grandkids to be pirates," Garp grumbled to himself still holding Luffy the way he was before as he walked forward right next to me.

"Muse wants to be an information Broker," Luffy muttered out before I could say anything.

"An information broker?" Garp questioned my decision.

"This means I could be a marine, pirate, or join the revolutionary army," I nodded to myself as Garp sighed. The conversation pretty much ended there because when I looked up I saw a large wooden cabin looming over the three of us.

The cabin was made from. What looked like, wood from an oak tree and was rather small. Not that I thought it would be big or anything in the first place. They were all just petty bandits in the anyway, which Luffy won't like one bit after what happened.

The house was surrounded by gigantic trees lively with the green of summer in its clutches. The wind slowly whipped through the trees and birds sang a song in the distance.

Garp let go of Luffy's face as he walked up to the door of the cabin we were going to reside in for the many years to come. Garp knocked loudly on the door as Luffy and I stood a ways away from him.

"What's this place?" Luffy questioned in a loud curious voice then ran off toward the back of the cabin while I looked around at the wooded area. It wasn't like Florida, but good thing the climate wasn't to far off. I don't think I could live any where that wasn't warm almost year round.

The trees were amazing, compared to the cities I was used to this was an amazing get away. The air was clean and the grass was greener, but I guess that goes with the saying the grass is greener on the other side. I breathed in deeply but was stifled into a coughing fit when I was startled by a yell.

"Stop it! Whoever you are, do you wanna get killed! The voice sounded and a large woman with orange hair stepped out yelling into Garp's face, though the women was obviously Dadan.

"It's me," Garp sounded out calmly but with a dark undertone, as Dadan gasped in fright at the man that stood in front of her and backed away from him and towards her door frame.

"G-Garp-san!" Dadan yelled as she went almost falling over as two men popped out behind her.

"You're looking good," Garp commented.

"Give me a break! Please, you gotta have mercy on me! Ace is ten years old now!" Dandan shouted back at the old man as I laughed a little at how flustered she was getting. Then I saw Luffy start to jog around the area that we were in, can this guy ever take a break.

"Oh yeah, already, how is he?" Garp questioned Dadan.

"It's not funny! We can't handle him anymore! You have to take him," The short man beside Dadan, known as Dogra countered the old man.

"Putting that aside . . ." Garp started but was interrupted by Dogra.

"Don't put it aside!" he angrily yelled back as Dadan watched Luffy run around like the deranged child he was and would grow up to be.

"You're an annoying kid!" Dadan spoke talking about Luffy.

"Look after him and that girl too," Garp spoke and then turned slightly side ways so that the three people could see me.

"Hey, Luffy, Muse, say "hi" to them," Garp pushed the young man to speak.

"Yo!" Luffy said rudely to whish I sighed at.

"How do you do," I spoke coldly but politely at the same time as I watched Luffy from the corner of my eyes. I mean what can I say I'm not good around new people.

"Who are these kids?" The larger man, known as Magra questioned.

"They are more of my grandchildren," Garp spoke, calling me his grandchild again. I don't remember ever agreeing to that.

"What?" all three of the bandits shouted in surprise at the news they heard.

"There's two more, and there Garp–san's grandchildren!" Dadan shouted to the sky in exasperation.

"We can't," The three of then begged on their knees in front of Garp.

"Alright then here's your choice," Garp spoke giving them an ultimatum. "Do you want to spend all your lives in prison or raise them," Garp demanded. "There are many crimes you've committed that I've over looked," Garp spoke laying on the reasons thick and then laughing.

"Come one!" They all cried up at Garp.

"Well I don' want to get arrested but . . . "Magra spoke and then stopped.

"Sometimes I think that maybe it's better to be in prison then take care of Ace. . ." Dogra added and then stopped again.

"But you want us to look after your other grandchildren, too? I bet there also monsters." Dadan spoke in a scared tone towards Garp as Luffy stared at the cabin behind them, from where he stood now next to me.

"Crappy shack," Luffy spoke up randomly.

"You wanna fight," Dadan spoke getting angry at the small boy a few yards distance away from her.

"Not listening," Dadan spoke again as Luffy just took off in a different direction and she fell into the ground before her.

"Boss, Are you alright!" Dadan's bandits yelled for her as they cheeked to see if she was ok.

"What is it? Ugh, spit, gross!" Luffy shouted from far away as I turned to look at him.

"Who did it?" Luffy shouted into nothingness only to spot a boy holding a pipe and sitting on a huge rock before him. I watched curiously as well, just like all the other characters I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. Even If all the other characters have turned out to be exactly what they were portrayed to be in my world.

"Hey you!" Luffy shouted up at the other boy, who was Ace, in aggravation.

"Say sorry it's gross!" Luffy demanded Ace while he just sat there quietly and Garp looked back at the two boys from the three buffoons in front of him.

"Ace!' Garp shouted at the boy and then started his way towards him at a slow pace with a happy grin etched into his face.

"Are you back Ace?" Magra questioned.

"Hey say sorry," Luffy demanded again as I edged towards him slightly.

"Luffy, Muse, this is Ace, he is three years older than you, Luffy," Garp spoke head turned towards Luffy. "And is five years older than you, Muse," Garp spoke as he turned his head in my direction and walked towards where Luffy and I stood.

"You all are going to be living here with them from today onward," Garp smiled down at us.

"What you can't just do that!" Dadan and her bandits shouted from behind Garp and the rest of us as Luffy growled upward and at Ace.

"Be nice," Garp spoke as he punched Luffy and I chuckled a little. As I chuckled I noticed Ace turn his head to look at me slightly. I also turned my head to look at him, and then he glared at me. So of course I glared back, I'm not going to let jerk Ace just glare at me for no reason.

"Is it decided!" Dadan questioned while Ace and I still glared at each other, me looking a lot less scary due to my bear beanie.

"Any problems with that?" Garp asked in a scary tone as the threes faces contorted into odd shapes.

"We'll take him," The three spoke standing at attention in front of Garp.

"That's all from me, I'll stop by when I have time," Garp told them as Luffy barred his teeth at Ace, who turned his head slightly back to Luffy. This was going to be a long seven years.

"What about child support?" Magra questioned.

"Put it on my bill," Garp replied.

"This is not a bar," Dogra pointed out.

"Huh?" Garp questioned the small man.

"You're always welcomed!" Dadan spoke with fear in her voice as Ace jumped down from his rock. I ignored the four others bickering and concentrated on the two boys that weren't far from me. Ace walked towards Luffy as Luffy tried to get in his way.

"Say sorry," Luffy shouted at Ace as he walked by him like he wasn't there and I didn't say a word.

"Wait!" Luffy tried again but Ace still seemed to ignore him.

Luffy stood there quietly for a few seconds and then slammed his hat onto his head and whipped the spit off of his face. Then he advanced towards the house and opened the sheeted doorway. To try and find Ace, who went through them as well.

I didn't really want to be left outside alone with the four bickering adults so I casual followed Luffy through the sheeted doorway of the cabin. I walked in behind Luffy but I didn't take a step any farther inside. The room that we were in was simple, empty, and pretty dark.

"Where did he go?" Luffy questioned himself as he looked around the room for any sign of the other boy. There was something about this scene that told me not to take a step forward, I couldn't remember exactly what, but I knew It involved Luffy in some way, like always.

"Who are you?" a man questioned while holding a knife to Luffy's throat.

"Let me go!" Luffy yelled at the man behind him. I saw others with the man to, there faces were all shadowed.

"Give me your money or I'll kill you," The man who spoke seeming to have not seen me yet. Oh was he about to get a smack down, as anyone from my world would say about the situation..

"I don't have any!" Luffy yelled back as I jumped into action at that moment. Only to stop when Dogra walked in and told the men who his grandfather was. Startaling them with shock, with sweat drops adorning their heads and wide eyes to match. While Luffy laid in the arms of one of them with an annoyed look upon his face.

"Is this kid. . ." a man from the crowd gulped out.

"There going to be living here with us." Dogra calmly answered and the men busted out in different comments on the matter in till one finally started to be smart.

"There?" someone else questioned noticing how Dogra made his sentence plural and Dogra pointed back towards me as I put on a innocent face and just smiled and waved. The men looked stunned for a second but then started to shout again. All their voices mingled together and just sounded like one bug uproar.

"Shut up you all," Dadan yelled as she slammed down a bascket filled with meat from some animal I didn't know of.

"It's time to eat!" Dadan shouted and all the bandits went crazy and I just stood back. I could go hungry for one night; I really didn't want to eat this meal. I'd rather just take in my surrounding for now and evaluate what to do next in this forest. Though I did always think of Sabo as my favorite character in the serious, but I quickly shook the thought from my head. I wouldn't go out of my way to look for him, this isn't a vacation, it's a chance to learn more and get back home.

"I want some meat!" I heard Luffy say as all the men jumped at the food like a pack of wild bore. As Luffy was about to run over a man pushed his head into the floor and jumped over him. Ah poor Luffy, I though and shook my head in his direction. Luffy struggled against another man to get a piece of meat. The man held steadfast to Luffy and refused to let him go. So Luffy stretched his body to reach the last piece of meat only to have it taken away by a white ragged looking dog.

"Dog?" Luffy questioned out of pure sadness of loosing out on some good meat, or rather any meat in general.

Luffy and I ended up getting some rice, which I ate slowly and calmly due to the fact that I didn't want to eat in the first place, though it's not good to make bad first impressions so I just ate it. As Luffy downed his rice in one go with a look of slight depression mixed with annoyance on his face.

"Can I have some more?" Luffy questioned rudely only to have Dadan yell back at him in return.

"Do you even know where you are right now?" Dadan questioned Luffy as Luffy responded with a simple no.

"Then I'll tell you," Dadan started "This is a den of the Dadan family, mountain bandits that rue Mt. corvo!" Dadan spoke leaning forward to seem more intimidating.

"Mountain bandits?" Luffy questioned rhetorically "I hate mountain bandits!" Luffy stated with an annoyed look on his face again.

"Shut up you little shit! We're annoyed by having a kids like you around,"  
>Dadan spoke and shifting her eyes over to me and then slamming a knife into the ground right next to Luffy. I quickly glared at her as I ate my rice, watching slightly.<p>

"If you don't wanna stay here, that's fine! Go away and die like a dog somewhere," The orange haired wombat yelled in Luffy's face.

"That goes for you too," She turned towards me slightly and looked me over as I smiled fakely and then turned back to Luffy

"I wanna eat more. . ." Luffy whined looking longingly down at his empty rice bowl. "I wanna have meat too," Luffy spoke again as he looked over and drooled over the meat that Ace was eating. I looked at the boy as well; it was hard to believe a jerk like him grew up to be a gentleman now isn't it?

"These are all from a bison Ace brought," I heard from beside me and saw Dadan smirking rudely at Luffy. "He gave us a cut of the take so everybody can eat, the Mountain bandits world isn't easy sailing," She spoke taking a bite out of her own meat.

"You and your sister are going to have to work pretty hard from tomorrow on ward," Dadan spoke addressing both Luffy and myself this time. "Cleaning, Landry, polishing shoes and weapons, burglary, robbery, fraud, and Murder! Remember you can't tell Garp what we make you do," Dadan tried to intimidate us and warn us.

I Ignored the rest of the conversation having heard it all before from the show and from camp counselors back home. Though I did smile at Luffy when he said he wanted to be a pirate. It's good that he has his own dream he wishes to follow, though it was even funnier to watch Dadan fall over onto the ground.

"Where is he going?" Luffy questioned allowed and I questioned in my head as I watched Ace walk away from the room full of people.

"Where are you going? Did you just say "pirate"," Dadan yelled after Luffy as he ran out the door and I followed after him not knowing where to go.

"Hey!" Luffy yelled after Ace only to have the door slammed into his face though he just decinded to fling it open and follow after Ace, as I followed after him though a little ways back so the two wouldn't see me.

"Hey!" Luffy shouted again as I stayed silent taking in the scene around me. "Wait for me! Hey!" He shouted again and Ace turned around looking mean as Luffy stopped and breathed in then spoke. "My names Luffy," He spoke and then smiled up at the boy.

"I'm not mad about you spitting on me anymore! It's nothing worth getting mad over. Lets become friends" Luffy shouted loudly then waved as I watched Ace raised his foot and kicked a large tree. Making it fall over easily and start to roll forwards. Luffy stared with wide eyes and then turned around yelling and running as I watched from my spot behind a tree near by not being able to really help from the distance I was at.

"It's a dead end!" I heard Luffy shout and then heard a big crash and saw Ace walk away. I ran towards where I heard the crash and looked for Luffy only to find Luffy stuck between the large tree and a cliff. I quickly pulled him out with a lot of trouble and difficulty. Luffy looked up at me from the ground that he sat upon after being pulled out and spoke to me in a calm and unusually serious voice.

"Muse, please go back to the cabin,"

"Why?" I questioned both his unusual behavior and his request.

"I don't want you to get hurt in this forest so I'm asking you to go back and not to follow me," Luffy spoke again. I looked at Luffy incredulously and right when I was about to say something he spoke again.

"You aren't rubber, you can get hurt by these kinds of things," He spoke motioning towards the tree that I had pulled him from not ten minutes ago. I got where he was coming from but I wasn't going to go cower in a cabin when he was guaranteed to get hurt out here, though I didn't want to start a fight with him so I decided to lie to Luffy instead.

"Ok Luffy, I'll go back," I spoke and turned around as he smiled and waved me off and I smiled back using a fake smile of course. Yah like I was really going to go back to that cabin filled with a bunch of rambunctious mountain bandits.

I smiled as Luffy left my vision and Skipped down the path. I wasn't going to follow Luffy; he needed to have some time without me around. Though that meant I could have my own adventure now. Though I didn't know what the adventure would entail. But I did know that every adventure starts out with curiosity. So I decided to stray from the path and walk around the forest freely.


	9. Muse's Adventure

**Yay this chapter is finally out after a week out! Though I really don't think this chapter is all that interesting, in fact I may change it if I find a better way to lay out the whole thing. Though this chapter is important because Scar is going to lead the way to where the story is going next so yay for that. Oh and I need to thank everyone that been sending reviews in, they make me want to finnish the chapter fast or on time.**

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><p><span>Chapter 9<span>

Yah… I'm stupid, why would I walk around the forest alone? I mean come one, a forest filled with a bunch of huge monstrous creatures and too many branches to count. Though I pushed them out of my way as I walked through the crowded woodened area, I never looked back and I never stopped.

"I think I can add this to the list of places I hate now," I said allowed to myself and then mentally added forests right next to beaches on the list of places I hate now. Though I kept going and where did I find myself at sun down that very same day. Right back at Dadan families' cabin, I guess I'd just have to try for that adventure tomorrow then.

I walked up to the cabin slowly as I hared people yell that I was back while I just ignored them wondering if Luffy was back even though I had watched the episodes and new what happened, and as I made it to the door of the cabin I hared something that made me turn around.

"Hey Ace is back!" Magra shouted from behind me so I turned around knowing Luffy wasn't with him but still hoping he was. I turned around just to see that horrible glower on jerk Ace's face as he walked up to the cabin alone.

"Food!" I then heard everyone of the bandits scream as Ace carried up a tone of fish with him. Some were big and others were small and the bandits all happily gathered around the on slot of food.

"Ace did you come back alone?" Dogra questioned him as Ace walked by.

"Where is Luffy, I thought you were with him?" Magra questioned Ace as well.

"I don't know," was all Ace said as he walked by me and into the cabin.

"What about you, Muse?" Magra asked me instead. Though I could only shack my head and then make my own way inside as well. Even if you know someone will be ok it's still hard not to worry for them just a little. The sunset soon gave way to night as everyone ate and were happy. Well except for me, I refused to eat anything, even the rice that they tried to give me. I didn't think it would be fare to Luffy if I did. When he got back we could all eat together then but in till then I'd wait for him to get back patiently. . Though at dinner I did end up getting strange glances from Ace

For a little while that night Dogra and Magra looked for Luffy on top of the cabin. I knew they did for sure because they snuck away from the party down stares and grabbed two telescopes on their way up.

I followed them, though not all the way up the stairs, and just listened to them talk not wishing to hear the sounds of the party anymore.

"That fool where is he and what is he doing?" Dogra questioned taking the thoughts right out of my head.

"Maybe he's dead already," Magra spoke something I really didn't want to hear at this moment in time.

"We are dead if Garp finds out about this," Dogra said with a depressed face.

"Boss must be pretty worried I guess!" Magra spoke and I huffed at their words and left them to what they were doing on the roof. On my way back I ran into a bandit he was taller than I was and looked to be in his twenties. His hair was black and his eyes were a sharp green color with intelligence. His skin was tan and he was lean with some muscles on his frame. I glared at this man; they were all the same any way.

"Well hello little miss, it's nice to finally bump into ya'," The man spoke nicely to me with what could only be called slight southern accent. It would only really be noticeable if you had been around southern people for a while though. I glared at the man, even if he was nice it didn't mean anything he was still a bandit.

"You seem like you need a bath little miss, I'll show you the way," The man spoke and walked away as I followed him. I know he saw my glare but even though he did he didn't seem to care and still smiled all the while, while talking to me. As I didn't even act like I was trying to listen to him.

"Here you are little miss," The man spoke again calling me that nickname he seemed to have picked out for me as we got to the tube area. "Oh and my name is Hiromasa," the man spoke and moved out of the room. That man was new, I never saw him in the show as I watched it. Though I just put that to the back of my mind and went to take a bath.

As I sat in the big tin cane tube I looked around. The area was outside and the stars gleamed down at me. Grass reached up at certain points and fire licked the bottom of the tube. As I washed myself I thought about what I would do tomorrow. I knew that Luffy would be ok so I decided tomorrow I would push him to the back of my mind even though I really was worried about the little buffoon. I decided that I'd go off into the forest again, though I really didn't know what my drive was to do this.

I couldn't think of one thing that justified my actions. What information could I find in the woods that could help me get home? Or that could help me figure out how I got here. Though I shook those thoughts out of my head and labeled it in the part of my mind assigned to things to think about later. Then I nodded to myself and smoothly got out of the bath and walked down the hall way only to run into Hiromasa again.

"We need to stop meeting like this," The man laughed as I frowned at him. "Let me lead you too your room," he spoke again still smiling and grabbed my hand and then leading me down the hallway treating me like the little girl I looked like, as I looked at him strangely.

He opened the door to a small room and let me in and then shut it behind him saying good night in a sweet fatherly voice and smiling as he left. I huddled in a corner; also refusing to sleep as well, not that I'd be able to sleep knowing Luffy was off in the woods all by himself. It was only a couple of minutes before someone else opened the door and walked in. The person who walked in happened to be Ace. He looked up at me as he walked in a glared at me just like the first time we met.

I glared back at him as he made his way back to his little makeshift bed and laid down closing his eyes and falling asleep. I stared at him for a moment and then moved my eyes to the ceiling. I just stared at it all night, right up to when the sun reached the sky and got up leaving the small room.

I then started my walk towards the forest not telling anyone where I was going or if I'd be back. I pushed Luffy to the back of my mind breathed in and out then walked into the forest.

I sighed after about an hour of aimlessly walking through the forest, yah I was lost. The wind picked up and I held on to my hat so it wouldn't blow away.

Then in the distance there was a great growl of some kind. I looked in its direction knowing my bones were filling with curiosity, so instead of doing the smart thing and walking away from the big murderous growl in the distance. I decided to walk towards the big menacing growl in the distance.

I stumbled my way through the underbrush of the jade greed forest and scurried over rocks. As I hared the growl getting closer and closer my thoughts started to wonder off and think of what it could be. Maybe it was a tiger or, or, a lion. Though all I really want is to know what it was.

Finally the growl was right around the corner I peeked my way around the rock that blocked my view and saw a bear. Though it wasn't like any bear I had ever seen on T.V or in the zoo at home before. This bear was much larger than any of those. It was at least two building tall in height.

"Growl!" The bear let out that fierce shout again and I jumped into the air a bit. I wasn't afraid of many things but huge bears had to be one of the things that I was scared of. I peeked around the corner again and watched the bear for a second as it growled again. Though the bear didn't look mean or menacing in the first place, it looked more hurt than anything else.

I started at the bear for a moment and creeped towards the thing slowly as it seemed to growl in anguish. As I creeped I watched the bear, though it's back was to me and I couldn't see its face. I walked slowly around the bear and looked at its face to see small tears leaving its eyes.

Ok now I knew that the bear was in need of some help though I still didn't know what the problem was. I looked the bear over closely and saw that the bear had a large gash on its right paw. Out of the gash stuck a large branch from a tree. I felt bad for the bear, but I didn't have anything to rap the wound and I didn't know which way was home.

Then an idea hit me, I'd just run in the general direction that I came from, maybe I'd get lucky. I accepted my own answer in my head and then I smiled and ran back the way I came straight to the cabin. Good thing I was such a fast runner in this world or it would have taken me a lot longer to get back than it did. When I got there I saw Magra outside doing some work so I decided to ask him. Since him and Dogra we're looking for Luffy last night, they had made their way onto my good list.

"Magra!" I yelled and waved cheerily to get his attention. "Do you know where the medical stuff it?" I questioned after he looked up and I appeared by his side.

"It's under some cabinets, just go around the corner when you get inside, take a left and then go to the first room on the right," Magra spoke giving me directions and looking at me curiously but, I guess deciding not to ask what he wanted to.

"Thanks!" I yelled and ran off towards the house and followed his direction till I came to a small, simple room with a white cot and smelling of medicine. There was also a desk and a chair in the room. And who set on the chair? It was the guy I met last night, Hiromasa. I tried sneaking past him and over to the cabinets but he just had to turn around didn't he.

"Oh Muse, it's you," He spoke and I nodded towards him as I inched myself towards the cabinets more and more _trying _to be inconspicuous about it.

"What are you here for," he stated as I smiled as he noticed my inching stance.

"I need some medical supplies," I spoke stoically, though I don't really know why the guy was so nice while I have been nothing but rude towards him. For some reason I just couldn't bring myself to like him, yet, though maybe in the future we could be friends, just not right now, something about him just though me off balance.

"What do you need the supplies for?" He asked as he walked over to the cabinets and reached under them pulling out gaze and a medical solution to help wounds heal. Wonder how he knew exactly what I needed.

"None of your business," I said to him stuffily and took the things from his out stretched hands and left the room quickly. Though I did feel bad for being harsh to the guy I just couldn't help it.

"Well, just be careful then!" I heard him shout from the medical room still sounding happy as I walked out the front door of the cabin. I then passed Magra as he again stared at me strangely and then made my way into the forest before taking off at top speed. I didn't want them knowing how fast I could run so I decided to always walk when ever I was around them.

The run through the forest was of course fast and short. As I made it to the clearing the bear was still there sadly growling up towards the sky. My heart went out to the big guy; I had always really liked bears. I made my way around him and inspected his paw that lay on the ground. The branch was thick but if I tired hard enough I think I could get it out by myself.

I looked up at the animal as I noticed its growls slowly diminished as it looked at me with curiosity. Not fear or hate just plain out curiosity, what a strange animal this was. I though for sure it would hate me, ever since I was little most animals would attack me on sight.

I looked into the animals eyes and it looked into mine and then I though, I couldn't keep calling it animal. Though I guess choosing a name could come later, for now I needed to get that stick out of its paw.

I rubber my hands together slightly and grabbed the branch as the poor thing whimpered. I pulled firmly on the branch and listened as the animal let out another cry of anguish from above me. I cringed slightly at the sound, I couldn't stand making something so innocent feel so bad, but it had to be done.

So I sucked it up and continued to pull on the branch, cringe internally at every sound the poor creature let rip from its large lungs. Though with every pull the branch removed it's self further and further, though rather slowly. After a few more good pulls and tugs the branch popped out of the beasts paw and the beast and I sighed in content, me from finally getting the branch out and the beast for finding some relief to its pain.

The creature looked straight down at me and I swear if it could smile it would be doing so right now so I smiled up at the odd thing. It then did something I didn't expect it to do; the giant leaned over slightly and planted a lick upon my face with its rough wet tongue. Making me giggle slightly at the feeling it gave upon my skin.

"Ok, ok," I spoke as the beast kept liking me over and over finally stopping as I said something. I then took the solution I got and speared it over the wound soothing the bear into closing its eyes. I then rapped its wound with gaze and smiled up at it when I was done. The bear stared down at me like I was the odd creature and then picked me up.

I was surprised at first but I didn't panic as I was raised higher and higher in till I was eye level with the beast. We looked at each other and then I remembered that I couldn't keep calling this bear, it, creature, or beast.

"What should I call you?" I questioned myself as the bear stared at me quizzically.

"Teddy?" I questioned the bear in front of me and it shook its head back and forth for a no answer, proving it was smarter then people generally thought.

"Bob?" I questioned myself then though again even before the bear could shake its head back and forth. It's not a very good name fore a giant bear if you ask me. Then I hit me as I stared at the bear in front of me. There was a scar that trailed down the bears left eyes that caught my attention. Then I looked at the beast for the first time, the bear was a bark brown color, with soft fur and even darker brown honey colored eyes.

"Scar?" I questioned the bear and it looked thoughtful and then nodded his head in a yes manner looking happy at my decision.

I smiled too with closed eyes, but was then jostled into opening them when the bear moved to all fours, setting me upon its back and then galloping off in the forest. As the bear ran I was forced to hold tightly onto its fur and watch my surroundings. The forest blurred around me as I bounced on Scars back enjoying every second of our journey.

All sound seemed to disappear except the prominent sound of large feet pounding against the ground. The wind created by the sheer speed flung my hair around and caused my eyes to blur slightly from tears. Though all I could do was smile even wider as we gained speed. Then finally we came to a complete stop.

I cleared my eyes from the tears and looked around at the area where we stopped. It was just a plain old clearing in the woods there was nothing special about in any way shape or form. Though scar carefully set me down and then I looked at Scar curiously, in question.

Though the bear just bent down and showed me its teeth playfully. Oh great a giant bear wanted to play with me like a dog would. How the heck was I going to play with this bear, I mean come on. Though it's not like I could run from the poor thing, it'd catch me with its long and powerful legs.

Though I decided I'd just try and dodge Scar for as long as I could. Scar then lunged at me and I slid out of the way just in time for the bear to have missed me. This kept up far into the afternoon. Though as I raised my head and whipped sweat off my face I saw the sun started to descend. Seeing it was times I should head home I said my good byes to Scar and then headed back to the Dadan family cabin.

The walk was long even with the speed at which I could run at. Though as I ran I thought of many things as well. That bear could help me train a bit, before I met any other characters that could easily beat me with their eyes closed.

I wanted to tell Luffy what had happened today though I knew he wasn't there and I frowned at that. Luffy wouldn't be back for about a week if I remembered right.

By the time I got back to the cabin it was night and everyone was already fast asleep in their own beds. So I snuck inside, I walked to the room that Ace and I shared seeing his eyes closed as well. I huddled up in the corner and stared at the ceiling just like the night before and spent my whole night like that just listening to my own stomach growling.


	10. Hiromasa and me

**Yay its out! Next week i only have to go to school for two days so I should be able to get some of my other works under way as well. Along with this story I've also been trying to make two other Hunter x hunter stories, while also having another one piece story up that hasn't been undated either. So hopefully I'll be able to work on everything. Thanks to anyone and everyone that likes my stories because I love writing.**

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><p><span>Chapter 10<span>

For the rest of the week I left early in the morning, to go and play with my new friend Scar. Though one day I decided to get more bandages so that I could change Scars bandages, I got up early that morning and changed into my normal clothes with my bear beanie on, thinking Scar would like me wearing it. I also through my backpack on to carry the supplies in and then sneaked out of the room to make sure that I didn't wake Ace.

I snuck soundly into the same room that I went to get the supplies before hand. I opened the door slowly and walked stiffly into the room after seeing Hiromasa leaning back in his chair fast asleep. I sighed at the man lowly, I think after him pestering me for the past couple of days he started to grow on me, if just a little.

"So you're here for supplies?" a voice questioned me as I thought startling me and making me jump a little. I looked up from where I stood to see Hiromasa staring at me smiling. I scowled at the man sending a glare at him and asking myself why he had to wake up now.

"I heard your footsteps," Hiromasa spoke as if he had just read my mind. I looked at him strangely as I thought this but no reaction came to his face.

"Can I have some gaze?" I asked him as I reclined my head and looked at the ground, man being in this strange world really sucked. Hiromasa seemed to think for a second, a question hidden beneath the depths of his eyes.

"Only if you come and see me after you get back from the woods," Hiromasa spoke nodding to him self as if he were the smartest person in the world, which I mentally scoffed at.

"Fine," I stated after starting at the man for a second to see if he was just playing with me. Hiromasa smiled down at me and turned, rummaging around in a cabinet looking for the things I would need.

"So why are you always in here?" I questioned him hating the silence even if I didn't like the man all too much.

"I'm a doctor," He stated and kept rummaging around finally pulling out the gaze that I needed and smiling at his accomplishment. This man seemed to smile way to much when ever he did something, it was a bit creepy.

Hiromasa bumped his head on the way up and rubbed it as he handed me the gaze still smiling. I still stand by my first notion this guy is a creeper.

"Thanks," I spoke softly just trying to be polite before leaving the room and stuffing the things into my back pack.

"Remember your promise," Hiromasa whisper yelled after me just enough for me to hear before I left out the front floor and into the woods like any other morning. Not braking into a full out run in till my body was covered by the greens of the earth around me. I ran to the normal spot and waited for a little while for my new friend to make an appearance. I sat on a rock for the time being the kicked my legs front wards and back wards in till I felt a heavy object collide with my frame and make me fall forwards.

The object that fell against me felt warm upon my back and made tiny noises, I turned my head a bit in spite of the thing that collided with me. It was a cub about half my height, its fur was a dark shade of brown and its eyes were a warm shad of green, odd eye color for a bear if you ask me, but I was in a different world so I just went along with it.

"Growl!" I heard a large sound come from behind me that sounded very familiar, a larger bear came in to the clearing and I strained my neck to see a very good friend of mine. Scar sauntered over to me and looked at my back pulling the cub off carefully and setting it down beside me.

"Hey!" I shouted as I rolled over and set up to see Scar in front of me now with an excited cub running around, Scar sighed a little and picked the cub back up then set it in front of me, pushing it forward slightly.

I then realized that the bear must be her son and that the big bear must be a girl. Well at least I wouldn't keep calling her an it. I looked at her cub a little closer and watched as it trotted its way up to me and looked me straight in the eyes watching me strangely, as if it were confused on something. Now, I could tell this little cub was a sprite young lad.

His posture never faltered and he had a determined spark in his eyes. Yet playfulness and a mischievous streak sparked to life beneath the surface, though the only way to out wit a playful bear is to make the first move unsuspected. So as he stared into my eyes I pounced first taking the half my size, bear to the ground rolling around.

I laughed as the both of us attacked like wild animals growling and hitting each other painfully. After a few minutes I got up from my position and moved back a little slightly glancing at Scar from the corner of my eye seeing her laying down looking quite happy with her self.

Though As I looked further into the depths of her eyes I saw fatigue and wariness, I let my guard down for a moment while I watched Scar carefully and then moved towards her only to be tackled again. But I managed to through the little tike off after a few moves and make my way over to Scar.

I looked down at her upturned paw and saw the bandages were dirty and out of place. So I pulled my back pack off and took out the things that Hiromasa gave me. I silently took off the bandages as the cub watched; guess I'd have to make up a name for him as well.

Though the bandages came first, I stripped other gaze off her arm and cleaned the wound with some disinfectant from my bag. Then I rewrapped it tightly and looked back up at her face to see happiness though still with the undertone of sadness.

"Scar, are you ok?" I questioned more or less my self as I looked up at the bear sadly only too feel a nudged on the side of my face with her cold wet nose trying to get me to smile. Which I found out during the last couple of days was her way of comforting people when they were in pain or sad. Her eyes flowed with hurt, something else I realized during the last two day, Scar was sad if you were sad. So I smiled, if smiling was going to make Scar feel better than I'd do it.

Then once again I was tackled to the ground by the little cub. The name could wait right now I was going to teach this cub who was boss. So for the rest of the day, in till late evening I played with the cub. Though as the sun started to sink slightly I decided it was time that I got home and talked to Hiromasa.

"Bye!" I shouted to the two as I ran slowly away from them waving back as they growled me a good-bye as well. Then I turned around and picked up my speed. As I ran back to the cabin I wondered what Hiromasa wanted to talk to me about. Though I stopped thinking about it as I made it to the cabin door, noticing a lot of the bandits were gone, and turned going into the room he was always in.

Then there, just like I thought, he sat leaning back looking up at the ceiling until I cleared my throat and he looked back at me. He smiled at me like always and then turned himself fully to me.

"Where are all the other bandits?" I questioned Hiromasa out of curiosity.

"They went to get some beer," Hiromasa spoke and then the room elapsed into a silence.

"So?" I questioned as Hiromasa looked slightly uneasy as though he didn't know exactly how to word what he wanted to say to me.

"I don't really know how to say this," he spoke rubbing the back of his head while looking sheepishly at me and proving my earlier thesis.

"Just say it," I spoke bored, I mean what could he possibly have to say that could be so hard.

"I know you're from a different world," Hiromasa all but blurted out then covered his mouth as I stared at him my mouth open a gape. At first I didn't think I head him right so I asked him to repeat what he said.

"I know your from a different world," He spoke again with a sigh this time and his head down almost looking ashamed at him self.

"What- how?" I stumbled over my words and questioned the man that sat in front of me at this moment.

"Because I am two," He said bewildering me even further. Making me feel dizzy and causing me to plop onto the ground and stare at it.

Though the more I thought about it the better it seemed to be. He may know away to get back home. This could most certainly be a blessing in disguise, so I gathered myself and stood back up then looked at him.

"Then do you know how to get back?" I questioned straight forward not wishing to waist any time.

"No," He said sorrowfully hanging his head sighing in a depressed way. The news made me feel hopeless as well after having my hopes being brought up. I plopped back down on the floor and hung my head down as well.

"Though I did learn a little about my circumstance and most likely yours as well," He spoke bring his head back up to look at me. The news wasn't as good as a trip back home but it could help.

"How do you know all this?" I questioned Horimasa still not fully convened

"Didn't I tell you, I'm from another world as well." He spoke "I just gave up on going back," Hiromasa frowned at himself and I looked at him. Who in the world would just give up on going home.

"Why?" was the only thing I could get out of my mouth, though he seemed to get my question even through my shock.

"I thought it futile after fifteen years of looking," Hiromasa said "And its not like anyone helped me, I was all alone. Running into others like my self from time to time, only to find that they had already given up on getting back as well," he finished.

He said he had been searching for fifteen years but he only looks to be in his twenties? How old was he when he came to this world?

"Did you shrink as well?" I questioned him about my own predicament.

"Yes, actually that's something I have figured out," Hiromasa smiled. "It seems that when you travel to this world your body is taken back to when you were the happiest in life, I was reverted back to eight when I came here," Hiromasa told me.

"How old were you before you were sent here?" I asked Hiromasa.

"I was fifty-seven when I was sucked into my bath tub at home leaving behind my wife, a daughter, and three grandchildren." He laminated sadly, tears almost falling from his eyes.

I looked at him then felt bad for not liking him up in till this moment. So I grabbed his hand and smiled at him as he tried to calm himself down a little. Though then it hit me, how did he know I was from a different world?

"You thought about it," Hiromasa sniffled out as soon as I thought that sentence startling me.

"How-what-did you just read my mind?" I stuttered and questioned him as he chuckled at me for doing so.

"Yes, it's a little something else I came across in my travels," he confided in me. "You see when you're taken to this world something you yourself didn't even know you wanted, you got," Hiromasa explained only to confuse me more.

"What?" I questioned him not getting what it was he was trying to say.

"Have you ever thought, I wish I could get away, or, I wish time would stop?" Hiromasa spoke dummying it down for me a bit. "Well the most prominent thought of a wish is something you gain here," he continued "I, without really thinking about it, always wished I knew what people wanted from me. Vague but apparently it was enough to give me the ability to read other people minds," Hiromasa finished making a little more since now.

Thought that only brought more questioned into mind so I guess I'd just have to ask them.

"Wait reading minds?" I asked first, thinking that, that question would be a good start.

"Yes, reading minds, it's quite handy sometimes," He answered

"Dose that mean that, you have heard every though I have ever had since I've been here?" I asked him again

"Yes, and I find it really sweet of you not to eat or sleep in till Luffy gets back" he answered outright simple and plainly.

"Though I am curious," He spoke "What power did you obtain, what was your wish? He questioned me right back making me think a little into what he was asking me.

What power did I get when I came here? Well I can now run fast and I was strong, though I was only ever strong that one time when I went to push the rock. Every time I tried to lift something heavy it was a hassle.

"I don't really know, though I do have the power to run fast and push things really hard," I explained to him. He pondered my thoughts for a second then spoke

"The strength was most likely an effect of the travel so that you could get your self to safety within the first few days of your arrival. The same thing happened to me the first few days I was here as well," Hiromasa explained to me and cleared up the whole random strength thing for me.

"Try thinking a bit harder," Hiromasa encouraged me.

Then I just thought, what wish could I make that allowed me the power of such speed. I never wished I could run away from life, nor did I ever wish that I could get away from my problems. Then it came to me as I thought back to the kidnappers. Ever since that happened I had always wished to get away from everything that troubles me. My wish was

"To feel free," I answered out loud finally getting it. It explained my speed, the freedom to run any where that I wished. To feel the wind in my hair and just, well, run, and it did feel a hell of a lot like freedom to me.

Hiromasa smiled at me and then we heard people come into the cabin and start to head up and down the halls.

"Well it seems our chat is over," Hiromasa spoke. "Though I am always free for questioning," he smiled and then turned around not seeing the tiny smile I had, the first one that I ever sent his way. Though now that we shared something this big, I don't think I'll be able to hate him anymore.

I walked out of his office, thing, and looked out a tiny window to see the sky shown dark. The sun had set and the bandits were eating and drinking like always. Though I was still on my hunger and sleep strike so I went to sit in a secluded corner all by myself.

I watched all the other bandits had a good time laughing together. Though I could never do that here, without Luffy life in this world seemed so bland and bitter upon my lips. The only satisfaction I ever felt was when I was with Scar during these days of solitude without Luffy.

I thought what it would be like to be home again instead of dwelling on Luffy. I thought of my mom, my brother, our little apartment, and my school where all the friends that I didn't really think I had were.

The night went on without any outbursts or tragedy, just me, everyone else, and a wall that separated use like a mirror reflecting back only what w wanted to see. The night moved by swiftly and I soon found myself another lonely night sitting next to Ace who was fast asleep. Then a dog started to bark outside and I heard footsteps from someone, a door open, and then a scream.

"Boss, Boss Dadan!" I heard someone scream from where I sat.

"You," I then heard and then

"Luffy came back!" from another mouth. I smiled at seemingly nothing and then ran out of the room to see Luffy.

"You fool! You're alive! You. . ." I heard Dadan scream just as I reached the door way to see a beat up Luffy.

"Easy, easy boss," both Magra and Dogra spoke stepping in front of me as Dadan grabbed Luffy.

"Where were you and what were you doing?" Dadan questioned pulling Luffy's cheeks apart.

"I was being chased by wolves at the bottom of the valley," Luffy explained as best he could as Dadan was still pulling his cheeks apart.

"What were you doing at the bottom of the valley?" Dogra questioned as I only listened smiling, just happy to see that Luffy was ok.

"Anyway it's nice to see your ok," Dogra spoke and Magra added in a yah as Luffy sweat dropped and Dadan looked irritated.

"It's not ok," Dadan yelled as she dragged Luffy through the cabin and I followed after her glaring all the way. "The pest came back," She spoke and threw Luffy into the room where Ace slept and I had been sitting in at night.

"Why don't you go to bed tonight?" Dadan shouted as I split passed her and over to Luffy. "You all have got work to do tomorrow," She spoke as she looked over at me as well and then shut the door.

I set Luffy's head on my lap and watched him sleep as I absent mindedly hummed arms by Christina Perri once again and ran my figures through his hair. I watched as he snored and never noticed Ace turn over already having woken up.

"What are you doing," Ace spoke, I think talking to me for the first time, in a dull voice.

"I'm watching him sleep," I spoke to Ace never raising my head up though I could feel his glare on me.

"Why?" he questioned again in a irritated voice, though I had no answer for him so I just stayed silent. And the night moved on as Ace forgot about the questioned and just rolled over going back to sleep. I eventually fell asleep as well, to the sounds of my own humming.


	11. The Loss Of a Friend

**Sorry took a little longer than I thougt it would to get this chapter out. I wanted to make sure it was perfect so if anything could make it better please tell me. The story should start picking up next chapter because she will be meeting Sabo in it. I also want to say thanks to eveyone that likes my story and I hope you keep on liking it or give me some pointers to make this story better, I love to hear feedback. I actually cried while writing this chapter so I hope its good enough.**

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><p><span>Chapter 11<span>

The next morning I woke up later than normal, most likely due to my sleeping strike. I rubbed my eyes to bat away the sleepy sand from within them. I then noticed that a thin cover was draped over my shoulders and that I felt warm. I looked around the room to see that I was the only one there. I looked down at the cover and then thought back to last night. Luffy didn't have a cover last night, so this must have been Ace's.

I smiled to myself and hugged the cover closer to me for a second. I rolled over clasping the cloth to my face; I guess Ace wasn't that bad of a guy after all. Though I'd never like the way he treated Luffy, but now that I though about it I should make more of an effort to get to the guy. I didn't stay in my fettle position for long before I got up and folded the cover, setting it in the middle of the room before walking out of the cabin.

"Hey wait your suppose to be doing work," Dadan screamed after me as I continued my walk into the forest, and then when I was out of sight I took off barley being able to hear Dadan's yelling any more.

The days pasted like this in a slow blur of color. Making me almost forget about Hiromasa's story and the knowledge I obtained. Though one day when the clouds were black and water fell in streams form the sky.

I went to the clearing, the cub, who I still hadn't given a name because I was always to busy fighting him to make one up, wasn't there. But I did see Scar lying over to the side of the clearing like she normally was. Though she was drenched in rain and little droplets fell from her fur in succession. Not that I was much better off myself also looking soaked as well.

She laid on her side the stared at the ground panting softly. I frowned and walked over to her only for her to look up and nudge my face trying to make me smile. I smiled for her and she stopped nudging at me, it was a moment that was of only silence.

Then a sound was heard in the distance.

"Ace, Ace!" we heard repeatedly a little ways back from where we were.

"Don't worry that's just Luffy, he's a friend," I spoke after seeing Scar look up with distrust. Then forgot about it she seemed to settle down after I spoke only to raise her head again for a reason I wasn't sure of. She sniffed the air a few time and then seemed to think for a moment she moved and sat up with a strange look on her face. Then she got up completely and out of nowhere, shook off the rain that attached its self to her fur and ran off.

I watched her run out of the clearing and then took off after her keeping up with her easily, as we ran back towards Dadans house. I kept hearing Luffy scream after Ace in the direction we were going in, as we got closer so did the sound of Luffy's voice, only to vanish into silence, I strained my ears to listen closer but still nothing. Though I still listened hoping for a sound, that's when I heard Luffy say something.

"Damn! I lost him again! Ace runs so fast," Luffy spoke and I could almost see him pouting in my mind.

"Is it Ace," I heard him speak again as Scar and I were almost into the clearing. I hared Luffy stifle screams and then speak again.

"I-I feel weak in the knees," he wheezed out as we picked up the pace and then broke into the little valley just in time as Scar stopped an attack with one of her claws.

"Luffy," I yelled and ran over to him as Scar and the large tiger both stared each other down.

"M-Muse?" Luffy stuttered and questioned me as I moved closer to him.

"Yah it's me," I spoke "You need to move and get to safety now," I demanded of him as I kneeled down before him.

"Wh-What about you?" Luffy questioned me in fear again as he stared behind me at the two large beasts about to go at it.

"I'm staying I wont leave Scar behind," I spoke getting back up and turning away from him looking serious and determined.

"I-I wont leave you!" He stuttered and then yelled out strongly as I sighed at him.

"You can't stay," I spoke to Luffy as he stepped beside me.

"I'm not leaving," He defied as I sighed again in annoyance and then turned to him thinking up a plan.

"Then I have a job for you," I spoke getting his attention. "I need you to go back to Dadan's house and bring a man named Hiromasa here, would you?" I questioned, figuring that Hiromasa was a doctor due to his permanent stay in the hospital room.

"But I-," Luffy started to say but I cut him off.

"No Luffy, Hiromasa will most likely be needed here," I spoke in a tighter voice trying to convince him. He then hesitated but nodded and took off back towards Dadan's cabin.

I, myself turned fully back towards Scar and the large tiger not paying attention to Luffy in the slightest as he ran off. The two large animals continued to growl at each other, neither seeming to back down as I stepped beside Scar, ready for any fight I'd have to put up.

The tiger was the first to make his move as he swung at Scar with his large left paw missing by a mile as Scar moved back and I ran around to the backside of the tiger jumping on his back. I hoped to make a distraction so that Scar could attack but it seemed my efforts were futile.

I was quickly thrown from the beast and knocked into a tree. From where I sat against the tree I could hear Scar growl in anger at the tiger and lung forward taking a swipe at it. I watched the two animals exchange blows, one never missing a beat of the other.

I reached behind me as I felt pain squirm its way up my back. I felt the back of my head and then pulled my hand back to find blood soaked into my hand and growled at myself for being so useless when a friend was in need as the rain washed the red substance away from my hand.

I continued watching the fight trying to stand on my own but failing and falling back down on my knee's and into the dirt, as soon as I made it to my feet I felt wobbly.

I huffed in annoyance and then looked back to the fight seeing the tiger glance my way a few times as I tried to step forward only succeeding in making a lot of noise. The tiger glanced back and seemed to take in Scar.

The tiger then seemed to chuckle manically though that was most likely in my head. Then he lunged my way looking to kill me with one swipe of its claw, only for Scar to jump in the way as the paw slashed across her chest and she took the wound with gritted teeth.

The tiger did not stop there he kept swiping at Scar creating wound after wound as blood started to pool at her feet in scary movie horror.

Moans of pain were then released from her chest and ripped through the air as I stood and watched with fright. For the first time since I had come to this world I was unable to move. And the time which this happened is most unbearable because of my friend in need.

I couldn't let this happen I couldn't watch this anymore I had to do something. Then at that moment my legs seemed to be able to move again. I stepped forward and then took off in utter anger at this beast.

"Ahh," a growl Ripped, like fire through my lungs and burned out my lips as I went.

My vision turned red like the blood all around me as Scar dropped to the forest floor and I pounced again onto the large tiger's head. His fur was ruff and unpleasing to touch as I held on to it and he swung his head around trying to rid himself of his nescience. Though, to be fair, I was just trying to do the same thing.

As the beast flailed around me I pulled my arm back and looked dead into the beast's eyes before launching my fist at its eye ball. I hit my target causing my hand to sink down into the tiger's fleshy eye a little. Blood swiveled its way down my arm that was lagged in the beast's eye. The beast cried out in pain and anguish, though those sounds meant nothing to me.

I ruthlessly pulled my arm back out and another scream ripped out of the tigers lungs as it finally through me off and then ran away, blood leaking from its left eye all the way.

Rain dripped down my face as I breathed In and out and my vision wasn't as red anymore. I sighed in relief and laughed a little as I rolled over to look at Scar who was still on the ground.

"I got him Scar," I smiled and looked into her eyes as they blinked, incoherently open and closed.

"Scar?" I questioned, but got no response, not even a glance. My eyes widened a little and I started to move my way over to her.

I crawled my way to her side and shook her large arm a little only to receive blood leaking out in spurts from her fresh wounds. My blood ran cold through my veins and desperation over took me.

"Come on Scar look at me," I spoke trying not to cry as I grabbed her face in my hands.

"You can d-do it Scar," I tried again choking on my tears no longer being able to hold them back.

"Muse!" I hared a happy cheer come from behind me that sounded like Luffy, but couldn't muster up anything in my being to turn me away from Scar.

"Muse?" someone else asked attentively as I recognized it to belong to Hiromasa. Hiromasa, he was a doctor he would know how to fix Scar.

"Hiromasa, please help," I begged out and turned my head towards him showing the both of them the tears that were streaming down my face. Hiromasa nodded his head and moved towards Scar as I moved back a little to give him more room. I watched as he cheeked over her body and then moved back to stand beside me.

"So?" I questioned him hopefully as he only looked down in sadness then shook his head back and forth in a no manner.

"She can't be saved," Hiromasa spoke sadly with his head still draped down.

"Why not?" I questioned franticly

"Well," Hiromasa spoke but I cut hi off.

"Can't you rap her wounds to stop the bleeding? Can't you give her medicine to heal! You're a doctor fix her!" I shouted at the man as more tears flowed down my face.

"It's too late she was going to die any way!" Hiromasa shouted as I started at him.

"Too late?" I questioned slowly unable to form the words to ask the full question I wanted to ask.

"Yes to late," Hiromasa spoke again. "Even before this battle her heart was weak, could have been a birth defect or something." Hiromasa continued. "She had no chance, if she hadn't of fought today she would have lived only a little while longer and I can't save her now because of her heart." Hiromasa finished softly turning away from me as I fell to my knees.

"AHHHH," I screamed in anguish and despair up at the sky for the loss of my friend. As I screamed I saw out of the corned of my eye, Hiromasa turned even more away and Luffy lower his head.

I cried and I didn't care how or what saw me do it, though my screams died down as I felt something soft and wet touch my cheek. I looked down to see Scar had scooted her self over to me, leaving a trail of blood behind her, from where she lay to rub her nose against me.

I saw her face and only sadness was there because of me. I pushed my tears back and all of my emotions as I looked at her then smiled. She seemed to smile back as well almost as if to tell me not to cry. I could feel my tears start to resurface, though I didn't want her last image of me from this world to be me crying. So I bent down and took her head in my arms and hugged her to my being.

"I love you, I love you scar," I repeated over and over again trying to stop my self form crying for her.

"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you," I said over and over again as Scar rubbed her head into me.

"I Love," I spoke but then stopped as her head went limp in my arms and her eyes went dull. I stared down at her before the tears I had held back started to pool in my eyes again and stream down my face "You," I whispered softly and then set her head softly on the ground and closing her eyes for the last time.

I bent my head over her and cried softly, tears falling and mixing with the rain and blood around me.

"Come on Muse, we need to get your head rapped," Hiromasa spoke softly walking up to my side.

"No," I said back just as softly as he did.

"Muse if you don't get your head rapped you could have some problems," Hiromasa tried again.

"No!" I said again with a deeper more determined voice this time.

"Muse-"Hiromasa whispered.

"No!" I yelled up at him

"No, No, No, I won't leave Scar!" I yelled up at him while still gazing upon Scars dead body.

I didn't notice how Luffy walked over to me with his eyes shadowed and stood right in front of me in till he said something. "Get up Muse," Luffy whispered out as I looked up at him.

"What?" I questioned softly while whipping my eyes not daring to look at him as I spoke.

"Get up Muse!" Luffy yelled out and then slapped me right across the face. "Do you think Scar would want you to sit here and mop as you died along with her!" Luffy yelled at me seriously for the first time as I held my now red cheek in my hand.

"Luffy," Hiromasa whispered out but then stopped as he looked at me.

I looked up at Luffy and stared into his eyes as he held out his hand and smiled goofily down at me "Lets go get you fixed up," Luffy spoke and I nodded slightly and took his hand.

The walk back to the cabin was completely silent as I held steadfast to Luffy's hand never faltering in my grip. Nothing looked the same anymore, green was less than green, wood was less than wood, and warmth from another person seemed almost vital for my being to live.

The cabin doors swung open easily though the door to the medical room seemed to scream as it opened. Reminding me of the times that I had come in here to get Scar stuff to rap her wounds with.

I sat down on a bench but I didn't look up as Hiromasa rapped my head tightly and my grip was still attached to Luffy's hand. Even after Hiromasa was done rapping my wounds. When Hiromasa left Luffy set next to me on the bench and grabbed my shoulders pulling me to himself.

As my head landed on his shoulder I couldn't help but to feel something wet land on my already damp head. I glance over incoherently to see Luffy crying.

"I'm sorry," Luffy spoke gripping my shoulders harder. "I couldn't even save my little sisters friend, what kind of older brother am I?" Luffy questioned, disappointed in himself.

"A good one," I spoke a little happy to have his there with me.

"How?" he questioned me as more tears streamed down his face.

"You were there," I spoke softly as tear slipped from my eyes as well and I gripped Luffy's arm. I don't know how long we set like that but as we set gripping each other crying I though about Scar and about her cub. Where was her cub?

"Luffy," I whispered pulling away from him a bit looking into his red swollen eyes.

"Yes," Luffy spoke back

"I have to go and do something," I rasped out thanks to all my crying and turned away from him to get off the bench and stretch my mussels a little.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Luffy questioned staring at the back of my head as he spoke.

"No, this is something I have to do alone," I croaked, hoping if I was the only one to go the cub wouldn't get scared. "But," I spoke up again. "Can you promise me something?" I questioned turning to Luffy.

"What?" He asked right back.

"Do you promise to be here when I get back?" I asked the older lad.

"I promise," Luffy spoke and then connected our pinkeye's together. I nodded and then walked out of the room and then the cabin all together. I didn't know where to start so I just started to aimlessly run around feeling hopeless in my searches.

I looked every where, except one place that is, though I really didn't want to be there for the second time that day. But I knew I had to find that cub so I went even though I really didn't want to.

When I got closer to the clearing I slowed down, I really didn't want too see scar again to day. Though I pressed on and walked attentively into the destroyed clearing. I looked around fast so my eyes wouldn't have to linger on her dead body.

As my eyes flickered I saw a moving figure over near Scars body. I felt tears prickle my eyes as I looked back and towards Scars body to find the cub. The cub was nudging Scars body as I moved closer and the cub looked back.

The cub looked scared for a moment as I looked into its eyes but then the little things eyes seemed to show relief. The bear ran at me and then jumped on me, knocking me over and rubbing its head into my chest. I looked down at the little cub and knew what I had to do.

I moved the small thing over and then started to work on digging up dirt. I dug up as much dirt as I could and laid it over Scars dead body. It took a little while and by the time I was done I was sweaty and covered in dirt. But when the job was finally done I walked over to the tree and carved something into it in remembrance.

I then set on the ground in front of my own make shift grave. Never have I really pondered the truth of god or gods but for now could I be little again and believe. Believe that my god from above would whisk Scar away to a better life.

If just for today could I be a kid instead of the adult I knew I was. Even if I was living a lie in sheep's clothing I needed it, I wanted it, if just for today. So I prayed even though everything in the world had always told me it never helped, I prayed.

My tears spilled from my eyes and then I felt a cold wet nose brushed its self against my cheek. At first I though it was just my imagination but when the same cold wet feeling met my cheek again I opened my eyes.

Beside me was the little cub I had yet to name looking sad as he watched me cry. I whipped my tears and smiled at the little cub thinking how he was so much like his mother.

"I never did give you a name did I?" I questioned myself as I sniffled and stood up.

"Well I think I have the perfect one now," I smiled down at the cub through my red eyes. "Oscar, after your mother," I wheezed and the little cub's ears stood up as he looked up at me.

"Oscar," I spoke again, watching as he gave his full attention to me. "Let's go home," I spoke and then walked all the way home with Oscar in toe.

I slid the door to Luffy, Ace, and mines room opened and saw the both of the fast asleep on the floor. I walked in silently pulling Oscar along with me; I curled up on the ground while Oscar curled up next to me to keep me warm. As we laid there I thought back to the tree and what I had put on it.

"_Scar_

_A wonderful friend, mother, and bear_

_We will love and miss her_

_RIP Scar Nelson"_


	12. The Aftermath and Sabo

**Sorry for the wait, I was sick last week and this week my grandma got out of the hospital. In fact she walked into my room as I was typing this. I like the end of this chapter but like always I want to hear you feedback, should I change anything? Moving to slowly? Moving to fast? I like to hear input about my stories. I thank all of you who like this story because an author is nothing without their readers.**

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><p><span>Chapter 12<span>

"EHHH!" was the sound that I woke up too the next morning. I gingerly rubbed my eyes and looked up to stare into the eyes of Luffy and glance into the eyes of Ace. Luffy looked a little nervous though Ace only looked curious. I looked between the two of them for a second not comprehending in my sleepy state.

I then felt something warm move underneath and remembered Oscar.

"Ossscar?" I whined out and then snuggled into him while hearing another noise leave Luffy's mouth. I looked up again through one eye, sighed and then spoke again.

"This is Oscar, Scar's cub," I answered while finally rolling over and stretching, hearing subtle cracking from my bones. Luffy looked skeptical for a moment before nodding his head not having realized that Ace had already left without him.

"Hey, Luffy, Ace left," I pointed out to the boy as he looked around and didn't see Ace in the room. At this moment is when I remembered about Scar, I remembered her death and that I couldn't help her and I slumped back onto the floor.

Days passed like weeks and I wallowed in self pity, Oscar beside me nudging my face the whole time. But I couldn't bring myself to smile at the moment I just couldn't. ON occasions Dadan would come in to yell at me, only to have Oscar growl at her. Luffy on the other hand would come home every day after chasing Ace and try to cheer me up. Ace, Ace would always look at me in a way I couldn't describe and then go to sleep.

One day as Luffy was about to charge after Ace into the woods I decided then and there, that it was time I stopped acting this way. Scar wouldn't like me moping around, so for the first time in a week and a half I got up and called out to Luffy.

"Hey Luffy can I come with you?" I questioned Luffy, thinking I could keep up. I mean I had been adventuring with a bear for like a month. Luffy frowned as he looked towards me but as he looked down at Oscar his eyes showed something I couldn't explain, then smiled slightly as I to tried to smile back finding it a little hard after frown for a week and a half.

"Alright," He sighed as he took off out the door as I quickly changed into my normal clothes and then followed close behind with Oscar right on my heels, Luffy seemed a little off today but I'd leave it alone for now. I needed something to take my mind off of Scar's death and running around through the woods was just the thing.

Luffy and I looked for Ace and then spotted him a little ways ahead of us as we ran to catch up with him, though I slowed my pace down a little so that I wouldn't lose Luffy. We ran over bridges and hills, we crawled through the underbrush and whisked our way through trees in till we finally came to a clearing.

I looked on in awe as Oscar came up beside me and I leaned on him.

"Wow! What is this place?" Luffy questioned as he looked on at the garbage yard in front of us. Well he seemed to be himself again, though I couldn't say the same for myself Scar's death still weighed heavy in the back of my mind.

The land before the both of us was covered in the thick layer of mist. From where we stood, different trash heaps covered the ground for as long as the eye could see. Luffy smiled and then took off for the big trash heap, rushing down the hill.

"Wait up Luffy!" I yelled after him as I speed up a little to catch him as we made our way down the hill in front of us. We jumped over trash and looked around at all the things that were there to see, for instance the people who wondered around looking for things of value in all these moldy substances.

"Ace!" Luffy stopped randomly and then jumped down a little ways only to fall through something and land on the ground.

"What's that?" I heard Luffy question as himself and a skull came into view.

"That'd be a skull Luffy," I told the young man before me and then watched him freak out not being able to stop myself from laughing a little. I knew Luffy would be able to raise my spirits if only a little today.

After Luffy got over the fact that a skull way lying next to him, we moved forward. Crawling over different dirty objects looking for Ace every where. Peeking around corners and sticking our (Luffy's) head into places we shouldn't.

"Hey! Where did you go?" Luffy would yell out frequently or something similar to it in a way.

"Hey Luffy lets spilt up," I suggested then looked around not seeing him any where in my line of sight. Well I guess I didn't really need to split up from him, I guess we would just find each other later or something. Then I wondered in and around the junk yard in all different direction with Oscar tagging along. I wondered into what looked like a small camp sight and decided to listen in on the people's conversations from afar.

"Treasure, treasure! Is there anything valuable here?" I heard a man question from the crowed of people looking around the garbage area.

"Here's something!" a man shouted holding up a pearl necklace. I watched as the men wrestled for the necklace like a pack of mangy mutts and a sliver of meat. I watched as they ran and I followed them not having much of anything else to do at the moment.

A man grabbed the necklace as it hit the ground and took off, all the men following him now. As I watched the man run off I also saw him run into someone. That someone just happened to be Luffy. I guess I really didn't have to wait that long to meet up with him again. I watched as the deformed man took out a knife and then proceeded to run off in fright of his followers leaving Luffy alone.

"Hey Luffy!" I shouted as Oscar and I slid down a mound of dirt and landed right in front of him. "Find him?" I questioned Luffy as he only shook his head to say no.

So we kept up our search, it seemed after as if we searched for ever. Sooner or latter we decided to spilt up again in our search or rather I lost sight of Luffy once again as we stumbled our way around the area.

"I found him!" I heard an enthusiastic cheer from the distance that sounded a lot like Luffy. I looked around the area to see if anyone was there, picked up Oscar from the ground and then taken off towards the sound at a normal speed for me. As I followed the sound I hared earlier I came to an opening in the trees. Seamlessly leading out of the junk yard that Luffy and I had stumbled into, by now I couldn't tell if I was going in the right direction though. I silently set Oscar beside me as I looked into the trees from where I stood.

From beside me I felt a small tug making me look down at where Oscar now set. After pulling on my jeans Oscars ears twitched and he moved his head to look towards the forest. I looked at the forest to for a second and then back at Oscar; I guess he was telling me to go in. I watched as Oscar moved forwards towards the forest and I followed shortly after the little guy, as I pulled down on my bear beanie.

We walked through the dense forest as I looked left and right for Luffy and listened closely to the things around me. As I looked I spotted an empty field, just like the one that Scar, Oscar, and I used to hang out in every day. I began to frown again as I stared at the area to my left but shook off the feeling and kept going.

"Be quite!" I heard two people yell not to far from me. I began to move in that direction slowly, as not to make any noise. As I moved forward so did Oscar, following me this time instead of the other way around. As the noise got louder I peeked my way through a bush and caught sight of Luffy, Ace, and someone I had never met before. As I looked closer though I saw Luffy strapped to a tree, what did he get himself into now? I decided to listen in to see what was going on.

"Ace! I didn't know that you travel this far every day!" Luffy exclaimed with a grin on his face from what I could see.

"Shut up!" Ace spoke next in a rude sort of way.

"Is this the Luffy that you were talking about?" The boy with the top hat spoke. Then it hit me the only person who would be hanging out with Ace and wearing a top hat would be Sabo.

I smiled to myself a little, so I would get to meet Sabo after all. I then moved forward a little to get a better look and hear better, only for a branch to crack under my foot. I held my breath as I watched the three children in front of me. I waited for one of them to look over or turn around but none of them did and I sighed softly in relief and then listened on.

"Oh you told him about me?" Luffy questioned practically jumping out of his binds.

"I told him how annoying you are," Ace stated with his hands upon his hips like a sassy girl. Though I had to admit that Ace was sort of right, Luffy could come off annoying at first.

"He also told me that your empty headed," Sabo through in as an after thought.

"Oh yeah?" Luffy spoke laughing at them and what they had just said, though as he laughed Sabo decided to ask Ace a different question.

"So where's that girl you told me about, the quite, sad one?" Sabo questioned Ace as and I listened in. I never would have though that Ace would have ever talked about me in a conversation.

"She's most likely back at the cabin with Dadan; I've never seen her away from that place." Ace spoke.

"Actually she's out there some where," Luffy spoke up pointing his head back towards the junk yard, thanks Luffy.

"And you left a little girl all by herself out their?" Sabo exclaimed as he, himself stiffened a little.

"She can take care of herself, she'll be safe, I should know I am her older brother," Luffy smiled as Ace leaned down and smacked Luffy across the head again.

"What kind of brother are you?" Ace growled as he questioned Luffy .I never in my life would have though that Sabo or Ace would act this way when they found out a little girl was left alone in the grey terminal. Though, never have I really met these characters before, books, movies, TV shows? They mean nothing; I don't know these people and I shouldn't act like I do, though it didn't seem that this conversation wasn't going in the right direction.

"Are you a friend of Ace's? Be my friend, too, buddy!" Luffy exclaimed out ignoring the conversation that they had before hand about me.

"Shut up! you can't call me buddy," Sabo spoke looking down at Luffy.

"Then what's you name?" Luffy questioned Sabo.

"Sa- I'm not telling you," Sabo shouted down at Luffy.

"Ah he got me off topic," Sabo grumbled then sighed "What should we do, about him and the girl?" Sabo questioned bring me back into the conversation.

"He found our secret. He's going to tell somebody if nothings done. We got to kill him," Ace spoke harshly. "Then we'll go find the girl and take her back to Dadan's cabin," Ace finished off.

"Alright let's do it." Sabo agreed as the too advanced on Luffy. Luffy's face fell to dread for a moment and then he screamed.

"Don't kill me! Help me! I don't wanna die!" Luffy yelled out and into the sky.

"Shut up you fool," Sabo spoke as he moved forward and pushed Luffy's head into the tree.

"Sabo kill him already!" Ace yelled to his friend. Well I think this has gone far enough so I decided to make my entrance . . . as the distressed, naïve, and little girl.

"Wahh!" I fake cried as is fell my way out of the bush rolling a little way and then landing on my back.

"Where is he?" I whined to myself acting ignorant and looking around the area I was in. I looked up then down, then finally side to side. I acted surprised when I saw Luffy tide to a tree and then ran over to him.

"Luffy!" I exclaimed letting a smile sweep across my lips as I tackled him. Trying my hardest as I did hoping my smile wouldn't slip away.

"Muse what's –"Luffy started to say but I quickly covered his mouth a whispered in his ear.

"Shh, don't talk, ok?" I said to Luffy

"Ok!" Luffy shouted with a grin oh his face as he smiled down at me and I sighed to myself.

"Why are you tided up?" I questioned Luffy not expecting an answer since I told him to be quite.

"They tide me up," Luffy spoke looking behind me confirming to me that he couldn't listen and follow directions to well. I sighed to myself in my mind and then turned around to look at the two boys behind me. Both boys looked surprised from what I could see of their face, though both of their faces were down.

"Why'd you tie Luffy up?" I questioned the two of them in a small voice that sounded so unlike my self. Both boys looked at each other in a little worry and then looked straight back at me.

"We. . . Were . . . playing . . . a game?" Ace kind of questioned him self instead of answering me.

"Yah playing a game," Sabo said and laughed strangely after revealing their obvious lie.

"Ohm," I spoke nodding my head; like I understood everything. "Then can I play?" I questioned the boys in front of me as my eyes shifted back and forth between the two of them.

"I hear voices from the forest!" Someone in the distance exclaimed.

"A kid's voice," The man added towards the end.

"Oh no! Somebody's coming!" Sabo whisper-shouted.

"Set him free for now! We've go to move from here or they're gonna find out treasure" Ace exclaimed to Sabo.

The two boys quickly untied Luffy as I stood to the side, I didn't know if I still needed to act like I was hopeless but I decided to any way.

"Is this apart of the game?" I questioned the boys while tilting my head slightly to the side

"Yah, uh, a game, just follow us and be quite ," Sabo shuddered out and then ushered me off with the others.

"Dam it I didn't know that those thugs were working for the blue jam pirates," Ace whispered from where we set, behind a bush.

"You mean that you stole money from them?" Sabo questioned Ace as I only listened to the two of them speak, then watched as Oscar walked back up to me and set on the ground beside me.

"I shouldn't have taken that money . . ." Ace spoke and then trailed off.

"He has a real sword. That's Porchemy who works under Blue jam," Sabo whispered back. As three men wade there way through the woods.

"He's crazy, did you know that?" Sabo questioned Ace not really expecting an answer. "He strips off your scalp alive after you lose a fight to him," Sabo finished shuddering where he kneeled. I watched the other two as they gulped in fright as well.

"Lets just let them pass for now," Ace suggested.

"Oh where is he?" Sabo questioned again and then looked back towards the three men that were walking through the woods and spotted Luffy being held up in the air. How in the heck did he even get there he was over here a few seconds again. I watched from our bush as Luffy struggled and yelled at the three men.

"Help me Ace!" I hared Luffy yell, shaking me from my thoughts, I went to get up from my place behind the bush but was grabbed and pushed back down by the two boys.

"That fool he's calling my name!" Ace exclaimed quietly to himself as I started to get antsy from all of Luffy's yelling. I leaned forward myself as Oscar came up beside me lying against my side. I couldn't think right at the moment.

My mind was telling me to stay put and weigh out my options like a logical person, like the person I've been my whole life. But my body had something different to say, maybe it was the trauma from Scars death or just the fact that I spend far to much time with Luffy I don't know. All I do know is that my body is telling me to stand up and fight. My heart is telling me to walk out there and over come all odds to save something that I value. And I'm finding it hard for my mind to stay logical, what is wrong with me.

All the sounds from around me mixed together as I tried to listen in as I tried to stay still. Then a few sentences broke through the muckiness of my mind and made me jump.

"What are you doing? Let me go! Where are you taking me?" I hared Luffy shout shaking me from my world. I jumped up getting ready to go after Luffy only to be pulled down again by Sabo. I growled to myself, how dare they stop me from saving Luffy, I could get away, I could hurt them.

I thought theses things to myself, I know for a fact that I could at least injure them enough to slip away. But I wouldn't do that, not now, not here, Luffy would be so disappointed in me. But what is better Luffy's safety or his trust and care?

"What should we do?" Sabo questioned Ace from next to me.

"You know what we have to do . . ." Ace answered.

"We have to save the treasure, move it to where those pirates won't find it," Ace spoke getting up and dusting off his pants as Sabo nodded in agreement getting up as well.

"What's wrong with you?" I questioned the two boys while looking down just barely stopping my voice from shaking with anger.

"He won't last, he'll tell them where we hid the treasure and then he'll be fine," Ace shrugged and moved to go forward.

"You don't know that boy at all, he called you his friend," I spoke as I grabbed onto Aces shirt to stop him from moving away from me and this conversation.

"So what?" Sabo questioned though not in a scathing way just a curious one.

"Luffy would never rat out or betray the ones he calls friends," I spoke louder feeling even more unlike myself, I've never stood up for anyone but myself my whole life. Always relying on others, Scar, my brother, Hiromasa, Luffy, I have been relying on them without even knowing it and without even giving anything back in return for their kindness and shoulders.

"There's no way he won't talk," Ace spoke indefinitely.

"You don't get it," I spoke and then took off into the forest after Luffy, Oscar trailing behind me. They didn't get him, not at all, even if I knew they would, or could for that matter. Nothing is indefinite and I won't sit around and wait for something strange or wrong to happen.

Something was changing, inside me or around me. I was different; I was no longer the Sadie Muse Nelson that I was the day that I arrived here. Every thing way changing and I was becoming attached, to attached and no matter how much I didn't like it I couldn't help it. I was slowly sinking beneath the surface but I didn't want to be saved, I wanted to be the one to save someone else, I no longer wanted to be the one looking through the glass. I wanted to be the one that went right through it. Then I though back to my home, about my mother, and about my brother.

_Dear Mom, Surge _

_I hope when I get back you will no longer remember me for who I used to be. But for whom I have become over my stay here. When I get back I hope you wont miss the old me but I do hope you like the knew one._

It was almost like a geranial in my head; ok it was a geranial in my head. But I didn't have time to think, I needed to find Luffy, I don't want him to get hurt.


	13. Captured

**OK this is what happens when I have no clue what i'm going to write before I start a new chapter. I don't really like this chapter, it's even slower than my other ones, which I don't like. So I apologize in advance and like always I love your comments no matter how good or bad they are. I actually had to rush this chapter because I found out I'm spending all of today with my best friend and this is the only day I could get it out.**

**Also got to say merry christmas, happy hanukkah, have a great Kwanzaa, yah know what, i even hope some of you guys have an amazing three kings day. Justs none of that happy holidays crap.**

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><p><span>Chapter 13<span>

I ran even though I had lost them long ago, the pirates, Luffy, and Oscar. I looked high and low for any sign of the three men who had taken Luffy away, but nothing seemed to show up. I had no clue of where they were or where they might be at the moment, so my first though was to ask people. I moved swiftly about the grey terminal grabbing people's attention as I went.

"Do you know the blue jam pirates?" I'd ask and they'd run away from me.

"Do you know the hide out of the blue jam pirates?" I tried asking different only thought I only got answers like, you shouldn't be looking for those kinds of people or that I shouldn't drag myself into something that could hurt me. Like I cared the only thing that mattered was Luffy's safety and well being. Ugh, I should have asked Ace and Sabo where I could find the blue jam pirates.

But I wouldn't, no I couldn't go back and talk to them, not unless they proved to me they cared for Luffy. So I kept up my questioning of the people around me in till there was no one left to ask.

I set lightly down on the ground and sighed, I needed a better game plan though I didn't have much time to think of one. As I started to think I saw something out of the corner of my eye. A black mass seemed to scuttle and turn behind a large piece of garbage.

I questioned it and then decided to see what it was. I ran around the corner only to see the black thing shuffle around another corner. Every time I seemed to get closer to this being they'd always be out of my reach. I followed them though

"Who are you?" I yelled after the person only to be ignored by them. I sighed and kept following them any way though, maybe they were just in a hurry and I'd ask them when they made it to their destination.

It seemed that I wouldn't be able to ask them though because when I turned the next corner I found myself in front of a wooden shed, no dark figure in sight. I glanced around as I looked for the figure and then decided to just try going in a random direction. I picked my foot up to move away from the open area. That is in till I hared a sound come from in front of me and inside the shed in front of me, a familiar sound.

At first the sound was low and I couldn't really tell what it was. But then it just seemed to get louder and louder in till I could plainly hear the voice though it wasn't really a voice just a sound, a very distinct sound of something meeting flesh, that something most likely breaking skin because I could hear the sound of flesh ripping as well. Though no screams or other sounds indicated what was inside in till I hared voices talking in the background.

"Our captain blue jam is very brutal!" I heard someone from inside say in the small cabin, no longer hearing any ripping of flesh.

"Wahhh!" I hared a whale from inside that broke my heart, "It hurts I'm scared, I'm scared!" Luffy yelled as I went to move forward only to be held back by a man with long blond hair and a purple shirt.

"You shouldn't go in there girl," The man spoke as he held onto my shoulder. I stared back at the man and then shook him off holding back tears as I hared another painful sound come from the cabin. I don't know what came over me I had never been this emotional in my life it was strange but I couldn't stop it.

"I must go he is my brother!" I shouted at the man and then paused, wait, brother? I questioned myself; I had never called Luffy that before, though if I was going to say it I was going to mean it.

"Guys go look for Ace and Sabo! We don't have time to stand around!" I heard a man yell from inside and watched as two goons came running out of their little hide out and I charged right in. I didn't think as I flew through the door, nor did anything pass through my mind as I tackled a big dude with spiked gloves to the floor. Though as soon as I looked up into the man's eyes I knew the only thing going through my mind was. Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, what did I just do?

Though by then it was too late as I was thrown off of the big man as he roared and I scuttled my way towards Luffy who hung from a roof.

"What are you doing here?" Luffy wheezed out as I got closer to him.

"I'm here to make sure your ok," I said to Luffy as I stood up and started to try and undo the bonds that held Luffy steadfast. As I started on the rope I felt a hand come down on me and try to grab me. To my luck though I used my speed and ended up on the other side of the cabin away from Luffy breathing heavily.

"Another devil fruit user?" The man questioned as he moved forward to try and grab me again only to miss and fall to the ground as I moved out of his way once again. As I kept up our keep away game I glanced at Luffy every so often to make sure he was doing ok.

I found that, that was a bad idea because sooner than latter the big guy followed my eyes to Luffy and smirked at me. He then moved towards Luffy and grabbed him by his neck holding him up in the air a little higher than the rope allowed him to be.

"It would be for his best interest if you gave your self up," The man spoke admiring Luffy's neck like a fine jewel. "I mean we wouldn't want anything to happen to him," He spoke again smirking evilly over at me as I lowered my head and sighed.

The man walked over to me, smiled and placed my feet and arms in rope, binding me to my spot and setting me next to Luffy only farther down, sitting on the ground

"If you were to just tell me where the gold Ace stole was, we could be on our marry way," The man spoke as he looked at the both of use. I looked to my left and up to Luffy to see his eyes were shadowed. I already new what he wanted and I was ok in complying with his wishes.

"Muse. . ." He spoke as he raised his head up to the large man in front of us.

"I'm not going to tell him where the gold is," Luffy spoke determined to keep Sabo and Aces secret alive. I frowned a little, this guy just always had to drag others into his problems, but as I said before I was ok with complying.

"Whatever Luffy," I spoke looking at him with an undetermined look. He smiled a goofy smile at me and was interrupted by a swing to the side from the spiked gloves. I watched with sad eyes as Luffy was pummeled with the spiked gloves that the man wore.

"UGH!" The man roared after beating Luffy for so long and not getting any answers from him. He then glanced my way and smiled as I turned my head in disgust at the man before me.

"If you won't talk when I beat you, then what if I beat the girl?" The man questioned and watched as Luffy's eyes turned wide and smirked. The man then turned fully to me, lifted his hand in the air and started to bring it down on me.

"Stop!" Luffy shouted as his eyes started to water, he was just a kid after all, even if he was to grow up to be a wonderfully strong man some day, that day wasn't today and It didn't need to be because I was here to be his crutch in any time of need.

"What are you doing?" I question Luffy in a dark tone as I look at him and he looks away from me.

"I don't want you to get hurt," Luffy spoke as he looked back at me with determination in his eyes.

"So you're aloud to get hurt and I'm not?" I question the boy slowly and he nods then answers.

"Yes," in a serious tone and face.

"Like hell!" I shouted at Luffy. "How many times do I have to tell you, I don't need someone as weak as you to protect me," I spoke and then turned away from him completely. I then didn't hear another word from his direction, I guess he finally got it that I wasn't just going to stand by.

"Tch," The large man in front of us scoffed and then raised his hand and brought it down again striking me in the stomach with the same gloves that had hit Luffy, mixing our blood together. I coughed as the impact also caused my back to hit the ground underneath me and cause me to gasp for air when he retracted his hand.

I wasn't tough like Luffy, Sabo, and Ace, I was weak and I knew this fact well. So as soon as the strike hit me I couldn't hold in my voice like they could and a scream came ripping from my lungs. Over and over again not long after the first punch all I knew was pain and then all I could hear was my voice. I opened my eyes a little to look over at Luffy only to see his eyes closed and his head turned away from me.

I felt ashamed but not so ashamed that I would willingly admit defeat so I took it all in. My pain and my awful screams in till it all stopped.

"Are you ready to talk now little boy, or do I have to kill your little friend," The man spoke towards Luffy as I had a moment to take everything in. I then took a moment to assess my self. I could feel blood dripping down my body and I knew my left eye was swollen shut I could feel my labored breath leave my lungs.

"So what is it boy?" The man asked Luffy as Luffy was about to open his mouth though I spoke first.

"Hah," I spoke my voice wavering, my throat feeling scratchy, breath feeling thick and dry. "I . . . can take . . . anything," I spoke then turned and smiled at Luffy feeling something warm trickle down my face. Luffy looked straight into my eyes and I could see the sadness in his yet I could also see determination beyond anything I had seen in annoy bodies eyes.

"P-P-P-Porchemy-san! It's no us doing this anymore," A man with blond hair yelled at the large man in front. The men from before had come back long before and were now standing around looking on in horror.

"They don't even have the energy to scream anymore," The blonde yelled at Porchemy as Porchemy breather heavily from all his anger and all the punching.

"I bet he won't say anything and to be honest I can't stand watching it-"Every thing went silent, I cracked my eyes open to see there mouths moving but I couldn't hear what they were saying. And to be completely honest, I was scared, scared for Luffy, and scared from myself, I didn't want to go deaf.

My eyes started to tear up again as I watched their mouths move but still could hear nothing. I didn't even notice when I started to be punched again and Luffy was beaten mercilessly. I cracked my eyes opened again when the swing once again stopped and looked over to Luffy. I watched as Luffy and that Porchemy guy exchanged some words and my eyes widened when Porchemy grabbed a sword and swung it at Luffy.

~ Mean While~

Oscar ran around franticly looking for his friend, Muse. He didn't know where to go so he just ran aimlessly, that's when he spotted a crowd. They were all surrounding this little dirty old cabin. Oscar crept closer to see what was going on but as he got closer he could hear the sounds of screams. One in particular being Muse's, Muse was screaming in agony and he wasn't their to help her.

Oscars anger seemed to flare up at just the though and he was about to charge forward into the cabin when another though came to his head. He couldn't take on anyone in that cabin without being beat, he would only end up causing her more pain. That's when he heard a different scream, and if he were correct that was Luffy, Muse's close human friend.

There were also two other humans that maybe able to help Muse so Oscar took off for the woods in search of the two strange Humans he met earlier. Oscar decided to search the forest first because that was where he last had spotted them.

"Ace!" Oscar heard in the distance with his acute hearing, which was one of the boy's names, that being the first though to fun through the tiny bears mind.

"That kid Luffy . . . hasn't told them anything!" Sabo yelled right as Oscar burst through the bushes in a frenzy.

"That bear . . ." Ace spoke as he looked upon the tiny bear in front of himself and Sabo.

"That's Muse's bear," Sabo spoke as his eyes steadily took everything in. "That means they got Muse as well," Sabo spoke as both he and Ace stared at the animal in front of them.

"There probably torturing them, if nothing is done they'll . . ." Sabo finished as both little boys' eyes widened and Oscar whined in sadness.

~ And we're Back~

I felt my world shake as I looked up and over at the wall away from Luffy and myself. To see both Ace and Sabo bust through with Oscar not to far behind, so they did come after all, huh. I allowed my head to slump to the side as I smiled and I felt more blood drip down my body. Luffy was safe and so was I, I don't think I've ever been more happy in my life.

Ace and Sabo jumped through the air after breaking in knocking some of the men in the cabin upside the head. I should really give them more credit, they really seem better at fighting then what I ever saw in the show.

I watched from my place on the ground as Ace was caught around the neck and how Sabo helped him escape. Though my world was going dark and everything seemed to blur. But I still watched on to the best of my ability, I watched as Sabo cut Luffy free and caught him. I then saw him walk up to me and then felt the binds on me loosen and then slide away from my body.

I closed my eyes as I felt someone raise me into the air. My mind was wavering as I tried to stay awake and I felt myself slowly slipping away from reality. Only to be woken right back up again by a wet feeling upon my face. I creaked an eyes open and saw Oscar licking at me as I smiled at him.

I then felt somebody drop me and I looked up to see Sabo run over and help Ace, I remembered this part. Ace was going to jump in the air and have his pipe broken. Though something unsuspecting happened, Ace was knocked to the ground and the big oaf's sword was coming towards him as Sabo was held up by some Goons to the side. I moved without thinking, something I had recently come accustom to in this short time that I had spent in this world and with Luffy. My speed allowed me to move in front of Ace and trip the mans legs out from under him, causing him to fall over in a heap upon the ground. I knew that it was safe now; we were safe now, so I fell over, being caught by Oscar and clinging to him, slowly slipping into unconsciousness.

The next time I woke up I was a little disoriented I could feel Oscar underneath me though, and I could hear, I could hear Luffy crying and I could hear Ace and Sabo talking. I kept my eyes closed not wishing to interrupt them, though I listened in on them as they talked.

"You're so annoying, shut up, and stop crying already!" I could hear Ace shout. "I don't like cowards or people who cry a lot," Ace yelled over to Luffy who set beside me. I then heard the crying beside me stop and sniffling noises start instead.

"Th-Thank you," I heard Luffy say. "You . . . you helped me and Muse," Luffy spoke again in a shaky voice.

"You . . .!" Ace spouted only to be cut off by Sabo, the mediator.

"Whoa, he's just being thankful," Sabo soothed.

"Why didn't you cough it up in the first place? You could have saved Muse and yourself," Ace pointed out as he asked Luffy a question. "There the kind of people who would kill women and children without hesitation," Ace continued telling Luffy off.

"I though if I said anything you wouldn't be our friend," Luffy sniffled from beside me, such a simple boy.

"It's better than dying isn't it? Why do you want to become my friend that much?" Ace questioned and I listened closer.

"Because . . . we have no one else to trust we can't go back to windmill village and I know Muse doesn't trust the bandits, if not for you, we would, we would, we would be all alone," Luffy spoke as I decided to lift myself up at this moment as Luffy kept on speaking.

"I know I'm not strong enough on my own, I want to become strong and become a pirate I want to protect Muse, but I can't, so I need, I want to trust you." Luffy finally finished as I set all the way up making a small gasp as I did alerting the group to my presences.

"How many times do I have to tell you Luffy," I gasped out as all three males stared at me. "I don't need anyone to protect me," I finished grinning a little bit more manically then I though I would.

I slowly slide down the grassy rock I was on, landing on my feet and stumbling into a sitting position as I finally noticed all the gaze rapped around me. Sabo made his way other to me but I raised my hand to say I was ok and then sighed.

"But Luffy is right," I spoke with a dull look upon my face. "I don't like being lonely either," I spoke laying my head back and taking in the breeze around me.

"Where are your parents?" Ace spoke questioning the both of us, though I was very content in just letting Luffy answer the rest of the questions.

"Grandpa is all I have, and I found Muse outside of windmill village not to long ago, she was abandoned," Luffy spoke watching me as he did so.

"Is it easier for you both when I am around?" Ace questioned receiving a nod from Luffy right away and a hesitant nod from myself.

"Do you want me to live?" Ace questioned us again as I slowly made my way to my feet.

"Don't be stupid," I wheezed limping towards him and hugging him slightly to my small frame. I felt him stiffen slightly and I looked up to see a light blush on his face so I let go without a fuss and stumbled my way over to Sabo next.

I wasn't someone who was really into hugging, but I knew when something called for one and I though this moment would be as good as any. I still had growing up to do and it wouldn't be so bad with these guys around, though I did think it was about time that I tried to find out some more things from Hiromasa, But I could just see him in the morning.

"I see," Ace spoke as I finished my round of hugs and just stopped listening to the conversation all together. I was way too tired to keep up with these boys. So I laid back down resting my head on Oscars side and falling back to sleep.


	14. My Names Samuel

**All I have to say is that i'm happy to get this chapter out after like two weeks. The next chapter i think will be better than this one because i hope i get to introduce a new character that i hope everyone will love! Like always i'd like to say thank you to all my fans and that your input is loved. I dont really have a lot to say this time so i just hope you like it.**

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><p><span>Chapter 14<span>

"Muse, wake up," I heard a voice break through my sleep, though I tried to swat the noise from my mind as I turned over and got confortable again.

"Muse," The voice spoke again and I realized that I wasn't going to get back to sleep at the moment. So I gently opened my eyes slightly to stare up into the face of a smiling blonde boy.

"Yes?" I questioned a little irritated and rubbed my eyes as I set up fully and saw all three boys standing around looking at me.

"We've decided," Ace spoke nodding his head up and down making me feel that I should know what the heck he was talking about.

"That Sabo will be staying with us from now on," Luffy grinned as he shouted answering the unspoken question that flouted in and out of my head.

"Great," I spoke grumpily as the forest descended into silence and I started to slip into sleep again only to be shaken awake by Ace feeling a twinge in my side as he did. That boy really didn't understand when he should let a sleeping dog lie did he.

I sighed again and glared up at the "older" boy and spoke once again. "What is it?" I questioned trying to sound as nice as I could.

"We need to get back," Ace spoke as he grabbed my hand a hoisted me up off the ground, as I winced from the sudden movements and jostling of my wounds.

"Whatever," I spoke not in the mood for talking; it felt like my emotions were changing a lot lately. But come on I'm tired and I'm aching all over give a girl a break over here, though I'd never let them know that I needed their help. Not that I was really ever nice when I was woken up early and when I was around strangers.

"You know you were much nicer this afternoon," Sabo spoke up as we walked.

"Yah, that's because I'm a good actress," I spoke as Oscar jogged up to my side and my sleepy state started to ware off. As I finally dusted the last bit of sleeping sand from my eyes I looked around myself, spotting a crescent moon high in the sky. The trees loomed over me differently than they did during the day. Looking more sinister than ever, seeming to reach out towards me to snatch me away. If I was really a five year old child I would have been scared for sure.

As I looked around myself, I didn't notice a root pop out of nowhere and I tripped over it. I landed on my side and a crack of pain shot up from my side I gasped a bit, held my side and snapped my eyes shut as I tried to get up again.

A few tears escaped my shut eyes as I went to stand back up which I quickly whipped away. Sabo was the first to offer me his hand which I hesitatingly took as I looked over at Luffy to see guilt in his eyes. The boy needed to learn a lot before he became the fearless captain that I had been watching since I was ten.

"Don't look at me like that," I spoke as I finally stood up all the way and moved my way over towards Luffy reaching one hand out towards him due to my other hand holding my side. I did the only thing I could think of to make him stop looking like that at the moment. I slapped him right across the face, watching his head turn to side with a snap.

Everything was silent for a moment as I reached my hand back and stood up straight .Taking my hand away from my side as well.

"Didn't you say you wanted to protect me," I asked the boy as he turned his head back and looked at me straight into my eyes as my arms folded themselves across my chest.

"But I couldn't," Luffy spoke as tears slowly started to well within his eyes. I could feel the eyes from the other two spectators behind me though I just ignored them for the moment.

"Shut up would you," I snarled as I slowly stretched out my sore muscles. "I've told you too many times that a weakling can never protect me," I glared and gritted out through my clenched teeth as my bones popped.

"So wipe that look off your face, only weakling's regret their actions, strong people never look back on what they've decided," I spoke determined to get my point across to the young man in front of me.

"I decided my fate myself, there's no need for your sadness," I whispered and moved towards him a little more.

"The Luffy I know would never wish to seem weak," I finished as I smiled a small smiled towards him and he whipped his unshed tears away and grinned as well.

"I'm strong, you got that Muse, I'M STRONG," Luffy yelled to the sky as a few sleeping birds slipped into the night frightened by the loud noise.

"Yah, Yah, I got it," I spoke nonchalantly waving him off as I moved forward towards the cabin stumbling as I went. I was surprised when I felt someone pick me up from behind and place me on their back. At first I thought it was Luffy and I was about to protest when I heard someone else speak first.

"Only weaklings don't ask for help when they obviously need it," A voice spoke as I looked down and realized I was on Ace's back and not Luffy's. "You're not a weakling are you?" Ace questioned using my own logic against me. Smart boy, maybe he wasn't so bad after all, no this time and this time only I'd let the boy carry me without any protests.

The rest of the walk was silent with fleeting glances from the other two boys in my direction. I could get Luffy's looks, seeing as he saw me as a sister. Though I couldn't figure out why Sabo looked in my direction so often nor did I understand why Ace decided to carry me, though for now I just decided to let it go.

It wasn't long before me made it back to the cabin and Ace rudely dumped me on the floor. Then I took back what I thought about him as we walked through the woods. Even with the throbbing in my side from the drop I still seemed to fall asleep almost instantly as my head hit the floor and Oscar curled up beside me again.

Before I feel asleep though I heard the boys shuffle around the room a little before settling themselves in as well, at least this room wouldn't feel so empty and lonely any more. Then my mind drifted off and I was surrounded by darkness once again.

The next morning my eyes flickered open and rolled over feeling pain fleet to all parts of my body, to find the three boys laying across each other on the floor of the tiny room, I smirked a bit then felt Oscars fur brush against me. It seemed the little devil was awake as well; it made me think that maybe Hiromasa was awake too.

I softly grabbed my backpack and creeped out of the room softly with Oscar, like always, in toe behind me, then shut it softly so as not to wake them up. I made my way through the hall way and over to the only room that I ever saw Hiromasa in. I pushed the door opened not making a sound and found Hiromasa there snoring softly at his desk to the side of the room ,which seemed a little strange to me because the last time I walked in on him asleep he woke up by the mere sound of my footsteps.

I slowly walked over to him to make sure he was asleep then sighed. I couldn't ask him anything now, so I turned around to leave Hiromasa to his sleep, though as I turned I didn't see Oscar behind me anymore.

"Oscar," I whispered as I whipped around in a circle looking for the little fur ball, only to spot him on top on Hiromasa's desk sniffing around at the papers.

"Get down," I whispered loudly to Oscar pointing down at the ground as I did. Oscar looked over at me and gave me a look that just screamed disobedience. I glared at the little bear but before I could make it over to him to get him down he knocked into a large stack of papers on the desk. The papers swiftly fell forward in a flash landing on Hiromasa as they went. The young doctor lurched forward as the papers hit him on top of his head.

Hiromasa slowly raised his head and turned to look at me as I just stared back at him blankly. After a long staring contest Hiromasa smiled and then spoke.

"Muse, what are you doing here?" Hiromasa asked as I moved over to grab Oscar off the desk and set him on the ground glaring at him the whole time.

"Well I came in here to talk to you but you were asleep on your desk," I spoke rubbing my head as I went. "I was about to leave the room when Oscar knocked over the papers," I said sighing to myself as I did so. I really do hate explaining things.

"Well since I'm awake any way, what is it you need?" Hiromasa questioned stretching his muscles out due to his bad sleeping position.

"Well first I'd like to ask you to look at these wounds," I sighed out.

"Sure," Hiromasa smiled and then frowned finally looking at what I was wearing, which also made me notice what I was wearing at the moment. I wore the same clothes that I had on the previously day, dirt and blood caked all over the cloth that covered me. Well that was except for the bear beanie that I wore every day.

"What happened to you?" Hiromasa questioned as he leaned over me like a mother hen.

"Nothing to important," I stated turning my head away from him and staring at the wall on the other side of the room as a flash from yesterday ran through my head. Hiromasa gasped as he hurried around the room to pick up all the necessary things to help me out.

I sat calmly in his desk chair and waited for him to come over to me. As Oscar set at my feet happy as could be. After running around the room Hiromasa finally came over to me and set off to work rolling up my sleeves and shirt to inspect all my wounds and then take a damp wash cloth over them. Too bad I wasn't like Luffy who was fine after the beating from yesterday. But not everyone could be an inhuman monster like he was.

"Also I wanted to- OW – ask you something else," I spoke as he rubbed ointment into my wounds. As a reply all he did was hum in a yes manner so I continued.

"I wanted to know where the guy was that you learned all that stuff from." I questioned not really knowing how to word my question for him.

"He actually lives in the grey terminal," Hiromasa spoke as he concentrated on him work. "His name is Tom, though He tends change his name quite often," Hiromasa answered and finished bandaging me, making me look like a mummy.

"I also have one more question," I spoke looking at the back of his head as he put his supplies away, this time not waiting for his approval. "Is Hiromasa your real name?" I wanted to know if he changed his name or kept his real one.

Hiromasa slowly turned around to look at me and then spoke. "No it's not . . ." Hiromasa whispered and then turned back around. I stood up to leave thinking that was the end of his sentence and our conversation. I moved towards the door as Oscar followed close behind and just as I left the room I heard Hiromasa whisper.

"My names Samuel," I heard and turned back to look back at him, though he didn't turn to look at me. So I just smiled to myself and left the room all together.

"Whoa Boss, Boss, we have a problem!" I heard from down the hallway. Seems like the Dadan family finally found Ace, Sabo, and Luffy sleeping on the floor. I sighed as I heard some rustlings and voices that I couldn't make out.

"Whoa what's going on here" The next thing I heard was Dadan shouting as she more than likely just entered our room. I knew this wasn't a conversation I'd want to stay around and listen to so I decided to just go outside and wait for the bunch to go out there.

I pushed the front door opened and ventured out into the hot sun, Oscar following right after. The heat always reminded me of home. I walked my way over to a tree and set down then decided to work out all the kinks in my muscles before the three monsters worked their way outside.

About ten minutes later I heard the door squeak open again and saw the three boys run outside. I smiled softly and used the tree to help myself off the ground.

"See ya!" I heard the three boys chant as they ran out of the hut and into the sun light of the day. I smiled softly up at the sky and then made my way over to the small group of boys.

"Hey Luffy, you stay here and do some laundry and clean the house!" Dadan yelled from inside the cabin, I wouldn't really call it a house.

"No way," Luffy yelled back and made a childish face as he turned around and looked back at the cabin.

"Oh Ace, Sabo, Wait," Luffy yelled again as he saw the two were farther along than he was. Though I was even farther back, I'd have to pick up the pace a little if I wanted to keep up with those boys.

"Hey Dadan while we're gone, the blue jam clan might come by so be careful," Sabo yelled back to Dadan as I also caught up with the group.

"Because we beat some of their crew up, bye," Sabo yelled out again and I watched as Dadan, Dogar and Magra's jaws dropped and they watched us leave.

"Dadan sure is an understanding worthless old hag," Sabo spoke as we ran our way through the forest, I was in the back watching the group in front of me, and I really didn't have anything to say to any of them at the moment.

"She's still a worthless old hag," Ace spurted off

"Plus she's a mountain bandit and her face is scary," Luffy threw in as he tried to join the conversation.

"What are we going to do now," Sabo questioned as Luffy fell back in line behind the two older boys.

"First . . ." Ace started to say something but then stopped for a second only for Luffy to pick up after him.

"Eat something!" Luffy shouted and jumped a little as he did so.

"OK let's eat," Sabo spoke back to Luffy and we followed him to a stream where Ace and Sabo caught a big fish to eat the cooked it over a fire. Luffy watched them as they did these things drooling as I just stayed silent not really sure what to say or do. Starting a conversation wasn't really my forte when it came to friendship

"Luffy so you ate the devil fruit," Sabo questioned as he ate from the big fish. As Luffy let noises escape his mouth that obviously meant yes.

"No wonder you can't swim, here you can have this too," Sabo spoke and then threw Luffy a piece of the fish that just so happened to be its tail.

"Thanks," Luffy shouted as he caught the fish in his out stretched hands.

"You're too kind Sabo," Ace mumbled as he chewed on his part of the fish.

"Well what's wrong with that," Sabo spoke softly as he turned his head slightly to look at Ace.

"So what fruit did you eat?" Sabo questioned Luffy excitedly as Luffy swallowed the fish tail he got whole.

"Gum-Gum!" Luffy answered

"Gum-Gum? Gum!" Sabo questioned in surprise.

"That's right," Luffy grinned up at Sabo.

"In exchange for the ability to swim, your body turned to rubber? So crappy," Ace spoke up as he picked his teeth with a bone.

"It's not crappy, I can use a lot of unbeatable attacks, that reminds me Muse," Luffy spoke as he looked over towards me and I looked up at him.

"Did you eat a devil fruit, that guy with the weird gloves thought you had," Luffy spoke and the other two of the group looked over at me.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I sighed out as I looked at Luffy hoping he knew that I didn't want to talk about the little powers of mine.

"But you moved so fast when you were dodging that big guy," Luffy spoke again with a look of admiration on his face. As I sighed again and just ignored him and the other seemed to just move on with the conversation, seeing that I didn't want to talk about it.

"Wha you really are made of rubber," Sabo gasped as he pulled on Luffys cheek.

"Don't play with my body," Luffy spoke irritated by the young man next to him.

"But rubber surely stretches and shrinks and expands so maybe it's useful when you're fighting," Sabo spoke as he let go of Luffy's cheek.

"Right, of yeah I came up with another attack," Luffy exclaimed excitedly as he spoke to Sabo

"It's called gum-gum balloon, I can deflect cannonballs and everything," Luffy boasted.

"Wow can you do it for me now?" Sabo questioned the boy and I remembered what happened knowing that this wasn't going to turn out well.

"I don't think that's a good idea," I spoke up as I stood up from where I set on the ground.

"Don't worry, I'll do it and you'll see just how strong I am, though Ace can't watch," Luffy spoke as he took a stance, puckered his lips and sucked in air expanding his stomach out and making himself look like a human balloon. As Sabo shouted at him about how cool it was.

"It's good for working off my meal," Ace shouted as he turned around and Kicked Luffy up into the air, exactly what I didn't want to happen.

"Sabo kick it back," Ace shouted as Luffy shouted in a muffled voice which I couldn't understand.

"Ah, okay," Sabo answered casual and then jumped up in the air and kicked the Luffy ball back to Ace.

"Is that the unbeatable attack that will defeat cannonballs? Then why don't you deflect my kick?" Ace questioned as he kicked Luffy again and Luffy was sent flying into multiple rocks before he landed in the river.

Luffy stared to deflate as soon as he hit the water. I watched for a second as he squirmed and then saw no alligator in sight. He was supposed to be swallowed but I guess this outcome is better anyhow. I watched his as he stared to sink beneath the surface and I took off across the water and pulled him to safety as I went without even thinking about it. As I set Luffy down I then realized what I had just done and froze.

I didn't want people to know that I had powers that weren't from a devil fruit. Then I'd have a lot of people on my tail that I didn't want there, though I didn't really think that these three would tell anyone to important about it.

"Wow Muse that was so cool, you were really fast!" Luffy shouted as he looked up at me with stars in his eyes.

"Yah, so you did eat a devil fruit," Sabo stated as I stayed silent, that wasn't a question it was a statement I could just let them think what they wanted to for the time being. The day moved on and before I knew it, it was sun down.

"Ace I want to cheek something out quickly," Sabo spoke as we headed back to the house, Though I knew what they wanted to find out so why not help them out a little, I though evilly.

"You want to check on the blue jam pirates right?" I questioned the two and didn't wait for an answer. "Well I've got some information if you're interested," I spoke as I smiled at the two.

"How?" Ace question and looked at me skeptically.

"Well I am an information broker," I boasted a little feeling happier than I normally did.

"Ok what do you know?" Sabo questioned

"Oh I'll tell you but it will cost you," I said nonchalantly as I inspected my nails, I never knew I could be like this, though I'd need to learn if I wanted to be good at my job.

"What do you want," Ace questioned me this time.

"I want you two, to owe me a favor," I answered as I looked up at the two.

"That's it?" Sabo questioned and I nodded. The two boys looked at each other as Luffy watched on with a confused face.

"Ok," Sabo and Ace finally agreed.

"Well the blue jam clan have searched where you used to keep your treasure and are looking for us all over the grey terminal, so I wouldn't stop by anytime soon." I told them as they nodded back to me and we continued on our way back to the cabin.


	15. The Bond's We Make

**Finally I got a story out. I thank you all for your wait and support; I ended up making this chapter longer than I normally do, almost 6,000 words. I had to rewrite this chapter so many time it was unreal I hope it turned out like I wanted it to. If anything is strange with it please tell me so I can fix it. I'll try not to take 7 months the get the next one up.**

**My favorite character that I've made shows up in this chapter I hope you all like him, his names Don Yukio.**

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><p><span>C<span>hapter 15

Life was once again normal, after the two weeks I spent "resting" from my injuries turned into four. A lot had happened in those four weeks, I thought as I trudged through the green undergrowth of the forest. My ability to keep up with the boys physically was no longer much of a problem thanks to my healed injuries and Tom. In fact I was following his shadow through the greenery of the forest at this very moment. Tom or should I say Don Yukio was certainly a handful.

_I had wondered away from Luffy and the group today, it's not like they'd let me do anything and I was bored. I thought about Hiromasa as I walked through the dense forest and allowed the trees to cast strange shadows across my path. I remember what he told me about Tom, and that he was in the Grey terminal, I had made up my mind at that instant and then continued forward with determination to see this man and to get answers that Hiromasa may not have from him._

_I navigated myself through the forest and out to the grave yard of trash. I smiled as the sun hit me and then looked down to my side, only to find Oscar not there. Oscar had taken quite a liking to Sabo recently, I guess he just didn't notice when I snuck away from the gang today._

_I didn't dwell on the absence of Oscar for long though, now was the time for doing and not for waiting I needed to find this Tom person. So like any normal person I walked up to the first man I saw._

"_Uhm excuse me?" I questioned a man sitting on the ground bent forward and head down leaning against an old broken table that was on its side._

"_Eh?" The man questioned back as he turned his head upward toward me and squinted his eyes as the sun beat into them._

"_I uh. . . I'm looking for a man named Tom," I spoke slowly and stuttered out my sentence trying to be as polite as possible while looking strangely at the man on the ground before me._

"_Ah, ya lookin fo tha gah," The man blurted out startling me a little, really who gets drunk this early in the morning. Though I guess I could always just think of my grandparent's favorite saying, "its five O'clock somewhere."_

"_Yes," I spoke now irritated with this guy, I hated drunks with an undeniable passion._

"_Don geh snippy wih meh," The man slurred again as he stood up and towered over my being, and just as I thought I was starting to except the fact that I was a little girl once again. The man leaned over me in a threatening manner as I stood my ground. I stared up into the man's face and took in his features. _

_His body was scrawny and tan most likely from the days he spent trudging through the Grey Terminal. His hair color matched his eyes; an ugly brown muddy mess that was matted together much like a sick dog's fur. His clothes consisted of a white shirt with rolled up sleeves and brown overalls topped off by a wicker brown sun hat that I had only ever seen on someone like my grandma. His breath stunk of alcohol and eggs as he breathed into my face and I wrinkled my nose up in a disgusted manner._

"_If ya Lookin Foh Tha Ol' Koot ya Shoul check out the south end," The man spoke as he leaned a bit away from my face allowing me to breath in crisp cool air instead of his nasty breath._

"_Thanks," I snorted as I turned on my heels and started to walk away from the strange man. I glanced back at him for a second only to see him smiling at me, what a creepy guy. I made my way over to the south side of the Grey Terminal as I dodged through the many different people I saw and strange objects that laid in my wake._

_As I neared the far edge of the south side of the Grey terminal I stopped and realized just how little information that the man had really given me, I mean the Grey terminal is pretty big. I sighed to myself as I just moved further ahead I'd either run into the guy or someone who knew where he was eventually. _

_I wasn't paying much attention as I walked until my eyes met with a tall shadow and I looked farther ahead to spot a man walking towards me our eyes connected for a second and then he looked back down. I didn't think much of it, no one else was around, he'd step out of the way on his own, but he didn't and I being a rebellious teenager at heart didn't move out of the way either making us eventual collide into each other. I looked at the person that ran into me only to spot the drunken man that I had earlier seen near the beginning on the Grey terminal._

"_How dare you run into the," The man paused as he struck an unusual pose and then finished his sentence "Don Yukio!" Oh great another guy from the crazy farm I mean seriously why is everyone I meet stupid, crazy, or just plain out __a pain in my ass __in this world._

"_Hey now you ran into me," I spoke up to the man keeping my temper down._ _I was far too stubborn to admit it was partly my fault and that I could have just as easily moved out of the way, Luffy was really starting to rub off on me_

"_That is nonsense child, Don Yukio runs into no one," The man spoke and chuckled as he raised his head toward the sky, I think I liked him more when he was just a drunk._

"_Look," I sighed as I started up at the man. "I'm looking for a man named Tom, a man named Hiromasa told me about him," I finished as I saw a feeling fleet across his eyes and then saw him slack into a sitting position._

"_Well my names Tom, but I don't know no Hiromasa, little miss," Don Yukio, err- I mean Tom spoke. There had to be something medically wrong with this man, one minutes he's a drunken idiot then he's an obnoxious, outgoing guy named Don Yukio and now he's a calm, collected guy named Tom._

"_His real name is Samuel," I said to the man as I remembered how Hiromasa had changed his name. Realization flickered across his eyes as he stared at me then he spoke again._

"_How old are you really then little miss?" _

"_I'm 16 years old," I spoke._

"_Ahh, so young, too young to be caught up In all of this," He spoke and then sighed to himself "fine then, show me what you've got," Tom spoke up as he moved to the side and I stared at him in question._

"_Show you what?" I questioned as I squinted my eyes at him._

"_Your fighting moves, darlin' my information comes with the price of a sound body, and the promise of a good fight," Tom whistled out between his teeth._

"_But, I don't know how to fight," I spoke up, the only fighting I had ever been a part of was a few self-defense classes my mother made me take back in the day, but that counts for nothing in a world like this one. _

"_No fighting ability, no information," Tom chortled and then stood up on his feet ready to walk away, but I couldn't let this chance go, this could be it. I may never find out anything else about what happened and I wasn't going to give up that easily._

"_Wait; is there anything else, another way?" I sputtered _

"_Nope nothing, now run along kid," He lifted his hand to wave me off as if I was nothing more than a pesky fly and he trudged forward only to be stopped by my tiny body standing in front of him. My little form stared up at him with all the defiance and courage that I could muster as I stood my ground and he stared back._

"_I won't take no for an answer," I barked my voice taking on a tone I had never knowingly used before, it was fierce and loud. Tom leaned over me his eyes turning dark and twice as fierce as my own. But even as fear of those eyes struck me I didn't quiver and I didn't let up my own gaze, I knew that if I were to let up I'd never get answers. Our stare off seemed to last hours but in reality was just an extremely long minute._

"_Ya know you have spunk kid," Tom spoke as he let up his glare, and I sighed under my breath as I relaxed a little._

"_I'll tell you the information on one condition," He spoke as I looked up at him with excitement. "You must let the all-powerful DON YUKI, train you," he shrieked reverting back into the man I now knew as Don Yukio and I lowered my head letting a sigh leak out from between my lips._

Life moved forward swiftly throughout training, Don Yukio wouldn't wait for my wounds to heal, said that pain made the body stronger, but man did it hurt. I no longer had to sneak off during the boys fighting secessions or sneak back in after because I left every morning before they woke and got home every night after they fell asleep. Promptly never really getting to spend anytime with Oscar and never taking him with me either. But on one of the many occasions in which I was sneaking in at night one of the three boys just happened to be waiting for me.

_I silently walked back into the hut feeling the aches and pains that fleeted through my body from today's training, my clothes were dirty and ripped in places making me look like I really did belong in the Grey Terminal. I pushed open the door to the room where Luffy, Ace, Sabo, and myself slept ever night. The door opened gently not even making a squeak and I slid in sighing to myself and plopped down too tired to care where I landed. My regular clothes were stained, marred, and ripped all over from the training. My arms and legs were covered with even more cuts and bruises than before, which were appropriately rapped in more bandages_

"_Hmm," a sound of someone clearing their throat frightened me slightly and made me sit up fast, startling my muscles and bones to the point that my back stiffened in pain. I turned my head to the side and came in contact with two piercing black eyes and the silhouette of Sabo sitting down against the wall._

"_Where have you been going off to for the past week Muse?" Sabo questioned me as our gazes met._

"_Just . . . going out," I said back not really caring what came out of my mouth at this point in time. Sabo got up onto his feet and moved closer to me bending down to my level as he neared my side, putting a hand on my head ruffling my hair a little before stopping the movement all together only to leave it sitting atop my dirty head._

"_Luffy won't say anything because he's too trusting, Ace won't say anything because he's too stubborn, but I'm not like them," Sabo spoke raising his voice into a loud whisper "I worry too much to not say anything," He finished eyes still never leaving my gaze. I had never heard Sabo talk like this before, sure he was a peace maker but never did I pick him for someone to worry so much._

_I don't know why I didn't just tell him what I was out doing every day, maybe it was because I thought he'd worry more or maybe it was because I didn't want him to know that I was getting stronger. It was just a feeling deep in my gut that told me I wanted to keep this a secret and no matter how selfish the request from inside of me was I listened to its wishes and lowered my head not saying a thing to Sabo even though he deserved an answer. _

_Sabo watched me for a few minutes, never allowing his hand to leave my head as I never once met his eyes that I knew were scanning me. Finally he let out a sigh then grabbed me in a head lock digging his knuckle into my head and messing up my hair even more than it already was, much like my brother used to do to me when we were little, he was trying to be tuff but affectionate at the same time._

_I grimaced at the contact and tried to wiggle out of the sudden attack but to no avail, Sabo was naturally stronger than me and I was already weak from training all day. After a while he finally stopped and let go of my head, plopping down next to me with a sigh he turned his head to look down at me._

"_Just promise me one thing," Sabo spoke out of nowhere grabbing my attention as I looked back towards him. "Be careful," he spoke as I finally met his eyes again and he looked away grinning and scratching his cheek a little. At this moment I was rather glad he couldn't make out my ripped clothing, dirty back pack or bandaged arms. I reached out my hand towards his and grabbed it making him look down at our hands as I pride his pinky finger out and then enter locked his and my pinky fingers together. I smiled up at him as I gave his pinky finger a squeeze and then said._

"_I promise." Sure it was childish but that made it mean even more because a child's promise is always the most pure._

That was the only time during my training so far that someone confronted me about my absence. Though I didn't really mind much, it's just as Sabo said they're trusting, stubborn idiots, but one day as I was training with Yukio I ended up having a run in with those same three boys.

"_Today we'll be sneaking into town and jumping upon the roofs," Don Yukio shouted going into a pose as I started at him in question._

"_Why . . . are we going to go roof jumping, what significance could this have to training?" I question the strange man's strange logic._

"_Ha, because it teaches stealth precision and agility," He spoke standing as normal as he could._

"_But in reality, it's fun, and what Don Yukio likes, Don Yukio . . . dose," Yukio smarted off as he paused for dramatic effect. I deadpanned as I sighed but really this is exactly what I would expect him to do._

"_Now come forth my young pupil, we venture off to adventure~!" Yukio shouted taking off shouting in a sing-song voice. _

"_Wait up Yukio," I yelled after him then he shouted back_

"_It's Don Yukio to you!"_

_We raced towards the wall separating the "trash," from the "nobles," and as we neared it we slowed to a walk in till we were directly in front of the humungous structure. To my child like height it looked as if it went on forever reaching even into the clouds._

"_So how are we going to get inside DON YUKIO," I questioned as I also mocked him by saying his name in a sarcastic tone._

"_Why what else, my dear student, we climb," Yukio proclaimed and either completely ignored my mocking or didn't know I was mocking him in the first place._

"_How are we going to climb over without being caught?" I questioned again as I looked around seeing no one in sight at the moment. _

"_We'll have to hurry to get over so follow my lead my dear student," Yukio spoke and hurriedly scurried up the wall and I followed after him. When we reached the top I could see tons of people and even more buildings, In fact there was one right across from us. Yukio grinned at me then threw himself at the building when no one was looking. I watched as he made it and sunk down on to the roof without making a noise or alerting any one._

_He looked at me as he steadied himself and I knew it was my turn to take a leap. This leap was far greater than the ones I had been forced to take by Yukio before, with the river, trees, and cliff. But I stayed calm, that was the first lesson I had to learn and I didn't want to have to re-learn it. I surveyed the ground, saw no one looking, closed my eyes then pushed my arms and legs from their grip on the wall hurtling myself over to the roof feeling my backpack and clothes sloshing around me, hitting the side, grabbing on, and hoisting myself up ungracefully._

_I opened my eyes only when I was safely on the roof top and I heard no yelling from down below of my most recently accomplished escapade. I felt a force slam into my back making me jet forward slightly as I turned around to a laughing Yukio._

"_There you go kid, knew you could do it!" he jeered and I turned my head back around to look at the things below the building we were perched upon, making sure that no one could see me in the process._

_I looked at all the people that walked around, most of them being dressed in fancy clothing, though I could spot some of them making strange faces and sticking their noses in the air. As I took a better look I saw some people with weathered, dirty, ripped clothing similar to my own. When I looked to see where they were coming from I spotted an entrance letting in people that showed them objects._

"_Hey DON YUKIO," I spoke making sure to say his name correctly so he wouldn't have to correct me._

"_Hmm?" He questioned back as he moved to stand beside me_

"_Why didn't we just take the entrance in here?" I asked the taller man next to me._

"_Well for one, we would have had to find something of worth, much like these items," He provided as I looked over and saw him holding a golden watch and a pearl necklace, then spoke again before I could say anything._

"_And just because it's FUN!" he shouted leaning into a pose causing some people to look at the rooftops as I pulled him down quickly and he laughed at me as I sweat dropped._

"_Don't be such a worry wart my dear student, for I am Don Yukio master of stealth," He laughed again as he jumped on to the next roof leaving me behind to catch up with him. I sighed and advanced after him at a slower clumsier pace, as more jumps were made the easier it was to do, almost like the trees I had learned on earlier in these past 26 days._

_The wind blew against my face as my movements became faster and swifter, using my heightened speed to my advantage so as not to let anyone really see me. I watched colors swirl passed my vision and listened to the soft murmurs of the congregated people below me only to stop when I heard a loud commotion come from the streets. When I stopped I could no longer see Yukio but that thought was there and gone again in seconds._

"_Again these three criminals and their pet? Why did they let them in the restaurant?" I heard a man scream as I looked over the edge of the building I was perched upon._

_Down below many people were moving aside as four small figures moved swiftly through the crowed, I couldn't make out their identities in till the nobles diminished a little. When I spotted them I sighed in annoyance, it just had to be Ace, Luffy, Sabo, and Oscar. So this is what they did when I was away from them? Become well known criminals in the Goa Kingdom, great._

"_Don't let them escape!" one person cried "Somebody please catch those three children and their pet," came another outburst._

_I looked around in all directions but Yukio was nowhere in sight so I decided to follow the gallivanting buffoons instead. I kept watch on them as I went back the way I came. They swerved through the streets with ease in till they passed a noble man. The man wore a nice dark blue suit with a matching blue top hat and black hair leaked out from under it. Even though I could only see the back of this man's head I knew exactly who he was, he was Outlook lll, Sabo's father._

_His voice made Sabo stop in his tracks I watched as the four were stalled for a little bit and then started running again. Before I knew it they had reached the end of edge town and ran straight into the Grey Terminal. I stalled slightly as I came upon the wall separating the Grey Terminal and Goa Kingdom. But at a running start I jumped clean over the wall and landed on the other side losing my footing and falling in the process. I stood quickly as I overcame the pain and took off for the woods, as I neared the forest I saw them disappear inside and was about to go after them in till I felt a hand on my shoulder._

_I turned my head around and followed the hand up an arm and into the face of said person. The person happened to be Yukio. Yukio shook his head and then motioned for me to follow him as he walked away. I glanced back at the forest and then followed after Yukio._

_The two of us walked for a while never uttering a single word. We ended up in front of an old looking cabin deep in the depths of the Grey Terminal, it looked rather similar to the one Luffy and I were held captive in except for a pad lock hanging from the door. I watched as he pulled out a key from his pocket and opened the door, still silent we walked into the tiny living space and set down across from each other. I looked around myself slowly as I sat, the cabin was dark with dirt floors, the walls and only door in the whole cabin were made of a dark colored wood while there was only one window in the very back allowing only a little light to seep into our meeting, I decided to speak first._

"_What do you want Yuki-"I was quickly cut off._

"_It's Tom," He intersected causing me to become confused, he had never told me to call him tom._

"_We'll be leaving soon," Tom proclaimed cryptically._

"_What are you-"He cut me off again making me a little frustrated._

"_We have things to do," He explained._

"_We as in whom?" I questioned the man who stood before me. Because I knew, for a fact, that I was going nowhere_

"_Take off your bandages," he ordered softly disregarding my question as I complied moodily, untangling the messy bandages I looked at myself to see that most of my wounds had turned into nothing more than minor scratches. He smiled slightly at that he seemed glad to know that I was almost fully healed even with his harsh training._

"_I'll explain everything to you in your last lesson tomorrow, but be aware you'll still owe us a fight in the future." This man was so confusing I was about to tell him so when he simply Stood and ushered me out of the cabin muttering for me to meet him here tomorrow._

And now here I am trudging back through the underbrush towards Dadan's cabin. I looked up at the sky to spot a nice bright sun still looming brightly, indicating it was still mid-day, this was the earliest I had ever gotten off from training, and it felt strange walking back so early, like I had left something incomplete. But I allowed the feeling and my frustration to slip away as I felt something brush against my legs.

I looked down to see Oscar there rubbing against me affectionately, I had missed the little guy a lot as well so I bent down slightly to pet his soft fur. As my hand went down to pet him his teeth snagged it biting lightly into my skin and then started to drag me off.

I let him drag me as we moved through the woods even though his teeth dug into my hand painfully, it was the least I could do for my absence lately. Oscar ended up dragging me into a clearing along a cliff where I could see Luffy, Ace, and Sabo standing.

The three boys stood facing the sun light and away from me. I could see they were about to talk and went to step forward only to hesitate slightly, even without the bandages and my minor scratches my clothes, and backpack along with myself were highly dirty. I admit that I hadn't taken a bath in quite some time; there really wasn't any time when it came to Yukio's training. I knew I would have to face them, and so I did. I stepped forward into the light and cleared my throat.

All three boys quickly turned their heads to look at me. As they spotted me they smiled and then frowned, I could only guess it was from my appearance.

"What are you-"Luffy started to ask.

"Where exactly have you been going off to every day?" Sabo cut Luffy off and questioned me just like the other day.

"Why is your outfit all ripped," Ace questioned fiercely, his eyes narrowing in the process

"Did someone hurt you!?" Luffy exclaimed alongside the others. I could only guess that the random outburst from Sabo that sparked the whole conversation had something to do with him telling the others that he was a noble's son.

"No one's been hurting me, where did you get that idea I only have a few scratches here and there," I replied to Luffy's question.

"Yah, wounds that were supposed to have healed up two weeks ago," Ace butted in, they must have talked in Hiromasa it was the only way they could have known that.

"Just tell us already," Sabo sighed out crossing his arms.

"If you don't tell us what you're hiding you will be punished until you do," Ace threatened. It really wasn't that big a deal, I was just naturally a stubborn person, though I didn't get the same selfish feeling I had gotten when talking to Sabo earlier on this month.

"I've been training," I told finally giving into their demands.

"Training?" All three boys questioned at the same time.

"Yes I've been training, I must accomplish something . . ." I spoke and then trailed off at the end.

"What's your dream?" Luffy questioned me as he moved forward to stand in front of me.

"I want to see my mother and brother again," I said softly. "And the only way to do that is to set out, to the sea," I confided determination leaking into my voice making it rise slightly.

"Ace, Luffy, Muse, the four of us have to set out to sea someday," Sabo proclaimed suddenly and pointed toward the cliff that lead out into the deep blue ocean beyond.

"We'll get out of this country and be free, I want to see the world and write a book about what I saw," He exclaimed proudly never missing a beat.

"If I have to study in preparation for the voyage, then that's no problem, let's get stronger and become pirates!" Sabo shouted out ending his speech and pledging his promise to the sky.

"I'd become one even if you didn't tell me to!" Ace chortled

"I will become e pirate, defeat everyone in my way, and become known across the whole wide world. That will be the proof that I lived!" Ace spouted off what was with these people and going into speeches?

"I don't care if the world doesn't accept me, no matter how much they hate me, I'll become a great pirate, and stand above everyone else. I won't run from anyone or lose to anyone. I'll make sure the whole world knows my name, even if it's through fear!" Ace finished as Luffy snickered in the background and then moved forward

"Really? Alright . . ." Luffy spoke as he moved toward the cliffs edge then took in a huge breath.

"I'm gonna . . ." The sea bellow almost washed out what he was saying but as I listened closely I could hear it as clear as day "King of the pirates!" I smiled slightly at him even though his back was to me as I listened to the surprised gasps from both Sabo and Ace.

"And here I was wondering what you would say . . ." Ace sighed and then trailed off at the end.

"You sure are an interesting guy, Luffy! I can't wait to see what the future has in store for you!" Sabo Laughed out.

"But wait becoming a pirate is one thing, but all four of us can't be captain," Sabo prattled off.

"I have no interest in being a captain of anything," I spoke toward them; I wasn't even sure I was going to be a pirate; I could go the way of a marine and still reach my goals in the end. But I was pretty much ignored by the three boys standing in front of me.

"An obstacle I hadn't considered, Sabo I just thought you'd be my navigator or something . . ." Ace said with his head bent lightly forward.

"You guys come with me on my ship!" Luffy exclaimed from the background.

"No Thanks!" The two boys in front of me shouted as I sighed.

"EH! Why not? Come Onboard! Hey come on, join me!' Luffy cried out to Sabo and Ace as I stood on the other side simply shaking my head, these three were far to head strong at the moment to ever agree on a captain, not that all three of them would ever be on the same crew.

"That's never going to happen!" Ace shouted back.

"Yeah no way," Sabo sighed

"What about you Muse?" Luffy questioned loudly and finally took notice to me.

"You could be my personal information brochure," Luffy proclaimed pronouncing it wrong.

"Sorry but, who ever said I wanted to be a pirate and its information broker not brochure," I spoke to the poor boy.

"Then you want to be a marine?" Ace asked

"Never said that either," I spoke beating around the Busch.

"Then what are you going to be?" Sabo questioned as I thought for a second.

"Don't know yet," I sighed out.

"Then there's still a chance, I call Muse for my crew," Luffy shouted out disregarding my answer all together.

"You can't do that!" Ace yelled.

"You really are an interesting guy Luffy," Sabo laughed out, with the rest of us joining in shortly after, these guys are really something else. The four of us moved farther into the woods to stand by a stump with three cups sitting on it and watched as Ace went off to get something coming back shortly after with a bottle in hand.

"Well we can decide our future later," Ace spoke as he moved toward the tree stump that Sabo, Luffy, and I were all already standing around.

"We might end up sailing on separate ships," Ace proclaimed.

"Oh you stole that from Dadan?" Luffy questioned.

"Have you heard?" Ace asked while ignoring Luffy's question.

"When you exchange sake cups, you become brothers," Ace told as Luffy turned his head towards me.

"What about Muse?" Luffy questioned as he met my eyes.

"Well how did you become her brother?" Sabo questioned.

"It was noth-"I started to say not liking that someone would get to know my about one of my weaker moments.

"I saved her one day and vowed to be her brother," Luffy spoke as he cut me off, but at least he didn't go into detail.

"Doesn't matter, she's already your sister so when we become brothers she'll automatically be our sister as well," Ace interrupted and then went back into his speech.

"When we become pirates, we might not be crew mates on the same ship, but our bonds will keep us together as family," Ace smiled at the three of us while I couldn't help but to smile back.

"No matter where we are or what we do our bonds will not be broken!" Ace exclaimed as I felt a warmth tingle up inside my heart. I had only every had my mother and brother, sure my grandparents were nice but they never treated us like family, they treated us more like commodities than anything else and with my brother gone and my dad having walked out on us, it could get lonely at times. Then there were these three strange boys that were willing to be a part of my family, it was wonderful, too wonderful in fact. If they were going to be my family I think they should see my mother and actual brother.

"Hey guys," I spoke as I turned my backpack to the front and reached into my front pocket to pull out a picture. The boys turned to look at me as I pulled it out.

"If you guys want to be my family, I think you should see my other family," I proclaimed as I turned the picture around. The picture wasn't resent It was taken back before I was born and while my mother was still pregnant with me. It was taken at a park, my mother was taking a break on a bench, she wore a long dress at the time and you could see her brown locks and beautiful golden eyes. My brother set next to her talking to me, as I was still in her stomach. He took after our father with his blonde mane and green eyes, I was always jealous of my family's beautiful eyes because mine were a mere dull brown back then.

"The women in the photo, is my mother, and the little boy I my big brother, the picture was taken before I was born," I told them as I pointed out my family in the picture, it made me feel like I was a child in class on show and tell day. The boys looked at it and smiled, then turned back to each other with new determination in their eyes.

"With this starting today we're family," Ace exclaimed as they slammed there sake cups together and yelled yeah together. Having them as a family would defiantly be interesting, but even if they are my new brothers I'll never forget or give up on getting back to my old family.

* * *

><p><strong>Everything is going to come together next chapter, from Don Yukio's mood swings, to more information on why Muse is in the One Piece world, I hope you stick around.<strong>


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